Garden Reviews

Grow Sciences: Dedication to Research Results in High-End Cannabis

January 19, 2019 by Staff Writer Leave a Comment

Grow Sciences – Arizona

It’s easy to see what really matters at Grow Sciences, as co-founders and co-owners Matthew Blum and Michael Cuthriell, CEO, love talking about it. “I often hear everyone here saying, ‘Our flower, ourconcentrates,’” shares Blum, who is also the head grower. “It is one team, it is one family, operating toward one goal: elevating Arizona’s game to the next level … and being super scrupulous business operators at the same time, and doing things the right way. That’s really what Grow Sciences was founded on … being a learning facility, where we know we’re going to make a ton of mistakes, but we’ll learn and forward the industry, not just copy what other people have done.”

The Product

Extraction tech, Jacob Karp shared a flower rosinthey’re working onthat reminded me of John Bayes’ Green Bodhi line I was lucky to enjoy in Oregon. Blum then discussed a top-end live hash rosin delight whose equivalent I’m told commands $100-150 a gram in California, coming soon to the Arizona market. Proud of their research and development process, Blum says they toss out entire batches that don’t measure up, refusing to risk patient health. “Transparency is one of the items we sell to them,” he says, referencing the tours they give to dispensary agents and partners. “You can come here, see the medicine you’re going to be ingesting into your lungs, stomach, wherever, and know you’re actually getting something we’re not going to kill you with.”

The Business

Grow Sciences secured their current facility in April 2017 andmoved in their geneticsline that December. They came to market in May 2018 and recently completed the expansion of their current grow site—but they’re not done yet. “We are a B2B2C company, so we work hard to have a direct relationship with our customers,” notes Cuthriell, who runs the post-production and executive side of the business. “Investing in our own dispensaries is a natural progression, as we believe we can share our story better than anybody.”

“It is one team, it is one family, operating toward one goal: elevating Arizona’s game to the next level …” – Matthew Blum, Grow Sciences co-founder, co-owner and grow scientist

The post Grow Sciences: Dedication to Research Results in High-End Cannabis appeared first on DOPE Magazine.

Grow Sciences: Dedication to Research Results in High-End Cannabis
Source: Dope Magazine

8|Fold: Two Gardens, One Mindset

January 10, 2019 by Staff Writer Leave a Comment

8|Fold – Las Vegas, NV

When it comes to quality, consistent flower that’s high yielding and highly sought after, 8|Foldin Southern Nevada takes the cake. With one 12,000-square-foot cultivation located in Las Vegas and another equally matched, newly operational cultivation in Pahrump, 8|Foldis poised to become a heavy hitter in the Nevada cannabis market.

The Process

Their research and development room wowed me. With plants from clones close to harvest, 8|Foldhas been taking cuts of different strains for the past year and creating new phenotypes grown under completely different lighting conditions. The Las Vegas cultivation was awarded a grant from Nevada Energy,which allowed them to install LEDs and collect data on processes such as energy reduction, load shedding, quality and yield. 8|Fold’sfirst harvest for their second state-of-the-art facility took place on the first of the year, and brand-new strains should be available by the end of the month.

The Product

Harvesting strains like Cherry Diesel, Connor’s Comfort, Oaktown Crippler and Star Killer every five days, the 8|Foldteam’s efficiency and company culture is what really sets them apart. “With a knowledgeable team in place who truly love what they do, we are able to deliver consistent, high quality product for Nevada,” says Michael Cooper, director of cultivation.With approximately 1,600 plants flowering and 900 in vegetation at any given time, they’re responsible for delivering roughly 15 strains of high-quality flower all year. It then falls into the hands of the post-harvest team, who dry and cure the flower to perfection for the consumer. 8|Foldyields so much flower they have their own line of concentrates, provide consistent products to high volume shops like The+Sourceand Planet 13,as well as supply other local extractors like VVG with terpene-heavy, high-testing flower on a regular basis.

“With a knowledgeable team in place who truly love what they do, we are able to deliver consistent, high quality product for Nevada.” -Michael Cooper, 8|Fold director of cultivation.

The post 8|Fold: Two Gardens, One Mindset appeared first on DOPE Magazine.

8|Fold: Two Gardens, One Mindset
Source: Dope Magazine

Canna Organix: Love and Care Is in the Air

January 7, 2019 by Staff Writer Leave a Comment

Canna Organix – Sequim, WA

The founders of Canna Organix are meticulous. And as part of their detail-oriented growing system, the team waters, trims and picks their crops by hand year-round. “In order to get the maximum potential for our plants, we make sure every plant gets personal attention,” says co-founder Wendy Bentley. The idea is to remove automation and mechanical processes and instead have human beings provide and care for the plants. It’s a “good energy in, good energy out” philosophy.

The Place

Founded in 2013 in Sequim, Washington, Canna Organix sits in in a unique location: Mountain peaks dot the skyline behind the farm, creating an ideal growing environment. The farm enjoys around 300 days of sunshine each year and is free from the signature rainstorms prevalent in other areas in the Evergreen State. Canna Organix grows their products in greenhouses year-round because of the wealth of sunshine, which increases terpene levels and reduces the amount of electricity the farm would otherwise consume. Because it rarely, if ever, drops below freezing or rises above 80 degrees in the area, Canna Organix is free to produce flower naturally throughout the calendar year.

The Products

Canna Organix works ardently on staying ahead of the curve. The founders say they don’t follow trends — rather, they want to be a “market-maker.” “We want to stay on the cutting edge,” remarks co-founder Tim Humiston. And to do so, the folks behind the farm are constantly testing out and inventing new strains, combinations and flavors.

Popular products, says Humiston, include the farm’s Do-Si-Dos, a 2018 DOPE Cup winner for best sun-grown, indica-dominant flower, as well as their Gelato, which had a runner-up win for best sun-grown hybrid flower. And these days, the Canna Organix farm finds itself experimenting with fruit flavor infusions. “We seem to have a lot of exclusive strains,” notes Bentley, who says, first and foremost, the farm grows their plants with sustainability in mind.

“In order to get the maximum potential for our plants, we make sure every plant gets personal attention.” – Wendy Bentley, Canna Organix co-founder

The post Canna Organix: Love and Care Is in the Air appeared first on DOPE Magazine.

Canna Organix: Love and Care Is in the Air
Source: Dope Magazine

Green Dragon: A Look Inside the Dragon’s Lair

January 4, 2019 by Staff Writer Leave a Comment

Green Dragon – CO

Green Dragon is a premier dispensary well known throughout Colorado. At their 12 locations they provide premium cannabis at some of the most competitive price ranges in the state. Green Dragon has won a multitude of awards, including three Cannabis Cup awards (one for best concentrate and two for best CBD flower), a High Times award for highest potency (Tickle Kush, 27.5 percent THC), and five championships from The Hemp Connoisseur. The company has been in business since 2009, and as they continue to expand in Colorado and beyond, they’re still making growing high-quality cannabis their main priority.

The Place

The Green Dragon garden is one of the largest in the country. In an effort to be more sustainable, their grow is located in a huge greenhouse as opposed to the usual warehouse, which allows them to save up to 80 percent in electricity output, and also gives their plants sun-powered vigor. The garden is kept meticulously clean and is about 90 percent automated. Almost nine years of experience has allowed their growers to fine-tune methods and increase overall efficiency, a challenging but rewarding process.

The Product

Green Dragon flower is grown without the use of harmful pesticides; they utilize only beneficial insects to defend the plants from invasive garden critters. they make their soil in-house from a high-end proprietary blend of peat-based moss and other ingredients. In order to keep up with the demands of an ever-evolving industry, Green Dragon is constantly conducting research and development in their quest for exotic strains and terpene profiles. A few things they look for when it comes to breeding new strains include yield amounts, potency, customer desire and selections that represent both classic and more innovative strains. A few of their house favorites include Cripple Creek Kush (a cross between Chemdawg x SFV), Death Star (a deeply relaxing cross of Sensi Star x Sour Diesel), R4 (a CBD strain which ranges from 17 to 23.5 percent CBD) and an authentic cut of Lemon G (which will be used primarily for their upcoming concentrate line). Another popular strain is their Kepler 22, which, according to a Green Dragon team member, smells like terpene gravy and cranberry sauce.

“Another popular strain is their Kepler 22, which, according to a Green Dragon team member, smells like terpene gravy and cranberry sauce.”

The post Green Dragon: A Look Inside the Dragon’s Lair appeared first on DOPE Magazine.

Green Dragon: A Look Inside the Dragon’s Lair
Source: Dope Magazine