What is craft cannabis and why is it important?

Great weed grown with mom’s love – that’s what craft cannabis is all about. By taking some Class A genetics and putting every minute into growing the plants with extreme daily attention, you will get some of the best cannabis strains in the world. But what exactly does craft cannabis mean, and more importantly, how does it differ from commercial cannabis?

To get an insight into the topic and why it’s important in the global cannabis mindset, I spoke to Mike Leibowitz, CEO of Veritas Fine Cannabis in Colorado, and Jesce Horton, CEO of LOWD in Oregon – both are handcrafted cannabis growers with years of experience Experience experience.

What is craft cannabis?

Craft cannabis – also known as cannabis in small quantities or artisanal cannabis – refers to small-scale cannabis cultivation in which quality takes precedence over quantity. It is defined by breeders who can take into account every little detail of growing cannabis, from seedling to harvesting to curing, and ultimately bring out the best aromas, flavors and effects from the genetics they use.

“Cannabis craft is a practical approach to growing cannabis. I think at some point there will be two very different cannabis companies that define themselves. Cannabis will be treated more like a commodity sold to the masses; and then there is craft cannabis, a grow-oriented, cultivation-oriented product that emphasizes the technique of cultivation, emphasizes the medium of cultivation, emphasizes the genetics in which to grow, the atmosphere in which to grow. much more than an automated process, ”says Liebowitz.

There are many smaller family farms, particularly in Northern California, that specialize in growing cannabis in small batches. These farms value sustainably grown, adult outdoor cannabis that uses natural processes and regenerative farming methods. But because of these practices, there is much debate about whether indoor cannabis of any size is considered “craft cannabis”. It seems that the answer lies in the size of these indoor farms and the growers’ ability to carefully care for each plant.

In a 2019 article in MJ Biz Daily, the CEO of Flow Kana, California, said, “When it comes to indoor, you can do it on a small scale, with love and intent, and call it a craft. And a lot of people do. But for me, indoor is a cultural phenomenon that is left over from the ban. “

How is craft cannabis different from commercial cannabis?

There are many differences between growing artisanal and commercial cannabis. In my conversations with Horton and Leibowitz, I discovered that three things matter: company size, attention to detail and the resulting quality.

What is important to know about cannabis is that each individual strain requires different growth techniques to achieve their best properties. With cannabis grown for scale rather than full genetic expression, many farms have huge fields or warehouses that grow a number of different strains under the same lighting and watering cycles and then speed up the drying / curing processes as the target of a company is to flood the product onto the market as quickly as possible. This results in huge harvests and supply, but it doesn’t necessarily produce the highest quality weed a cannabis connoisseur would want to smoke. Seasoned smokers want great flavors, great flavors, great effects, and absolutely to be blown away from their buds every time they consume them. These properties are often lacking in cannabis that comes from companies that produce large quantities at the cheapest price.

Commenting on the special care and attention to detail that goes into small batch cannabis, Horton said, “No matter what, each strain will like a different level of watering; Especially when you have multiple strains on a table and people water that table at the same time, you’re not giving some of those strains exactly what they want. You may be able to give them enough where they are healthy and doing well, but if they don’t get exactly what they want, then you open up the potential to downgrade their quality and move away from that craft quality level. “

For this reason, artisanal growers value smaller grows with a limited number of strains so they can be sure that every plant that comes out of their garden is a real show stopper. However, Veritas questions the idea that craft cannot be grown in a larger facility. When asked how the size of a company defines craft cannabis, Leibowitz said, “When we talk about craft cannabis, we are talking about really doing something at the micro level, maybe even at the macro level. You can have a facility of 30,000 to 50,000 square feet, but we designed our facility to draw microspaces. So we’re going to have 700-800 square meters of flowering rooms, no more than 25-30 lights in each room, this way we can plant the room at once, harvest the room right away, thoroughly clean the space between each cycle, and pay more attention on every single plant that stands in this room every day. “

When I was defining the correct number of lights in a room that would qualify as indoor small-batch cannabis, Leibowitz told me that Veritas has never been grown in a room with more than 45 lights. Subjectively, Horton said: “For me, I have found that the sweet spot where I can still produce small batches is a maximum of 30-40 lights per harvest. If you can get a 10-20 Lightroom these are some of the best because you usually have a grower who knows the whole process, knows every plant, and can reduce all of those variables that are in the grow room. “

Another big part of craft cannabis is manually trimming the plants as opposed to machine trimming. The problem with using large machines to trim cannabis is that you will lose many of the trichomes from the plant. The trichomes are the key to quality. They are the milky-white crystals on cannabis flowers that house both the cannabinoids and the terpenes, which are the compounds in cannabis that are most responsible for the effects we feel when we use them.

What is the place of craft cannabis in the consumer market?

With the future of cannabis use mimicking the alcohol industry, it’s easy to see that there will be different levels of quality for each type of consumer. Just like you can get your hands on a $ 15 pack of Keystone Lights that does the job, you can get ounces for $ 50 to $ 100. On the flip side, just like you can pick up a special batch of fruit-infused sours from your local microbrewery, you’ll be able to snap up jars of craft cannabis that could cost your pockets for $ 50 to $ 60 an eighth but you I’m going to consume some of the tastiest, most potent buds possible.

Regarding the place of craft cannabis in the future world of weed shopping, Leibowitz said: “Definitely always on the top shelf. I think you will have good packaging with it, I think it will be like buying a nice bottle of wine instead of buying an average bottle of wine. I think there will no doubt be classes on commercial cannabis. One day a bodega in New York is going to sell you five joints for seven dollars and it will probably be grown outdoors in North Carolina and have 8% THC and a purpose, right? And then there will be a glass of Veritas, possibly in the same bodega, and it costs $ 60 for three grams, but it is of much higher quality than what was in the joint you smoked. And that should be clear to the consumer when smoking. “

When he got consumers excited about more expensive but better quality cannabis, Horton said, “I think it’s really about education. When you start to see other people move away from the cheaper, lower dollar value cannabis and move more towards top quality cannabis, it usually comes naturally. And education from them who learn the difference. I think as consumers get access to better buds it is a natural evolution for many to consume the best, the healthiest cannabis, the most effective cannabis, the best smelling, the most enjoyable from different angles when you take a look the measurement of aesthetics, smell, effect and taste. “

Featured image by Gina Coleman / Weedmaps