Gateway Proven Strategies and special guests from our network of expert cultivators bring you a series of conversations on scaling your cannabis grows for optimal business growth.

Each episode addresses a key angle of “the state of cultivation” across the global industry, with a special focus on strategies for scaling operations.

Topics include:

• The ins and outs of regional adaptations of cannabis genetics – What genetics work well in different regions of the world.
• How genetic stability plays into your business decisions.
• Planning for compliance, including GAP and GMP considerations.

Episode #1 – GENETICS

Moderator: Tim Gordon | Chief Science Officer, GPS

Miguel Fog | Co-Founder, B.D & Corporate Relations, Colombian Organics
Pablo Fog | CEO & Co-Founder, Colombian Organics

• As Colombia positions itself to become a leading producer of high-quality cannabis, the team behind Colombian Organics are applying generations of agricultural production to the particulars of cannabis and feminized seed production. 
• They consult with each client on genetics to deliver consistent, quality and even customized seeds.
• Colombian Organics has developed some strains with 99.6% feminization rate. 
• “We’re working with nature, not in a lab. So you can get as close to perfect as possible but it’s still nature. You can be really careful but you’ll still have that 1%.” — Miguel Fog

Episode #2 – FACILITY BUILDOUT

Moderator: Tim Gordon | Chief Science Officer, GPS

EPISODE #3 – SECRETS TO SCALE BY

Moderator: Tim Gordon | Chief Science Officer, GPS

Zoey Buchanan, Mat Lameroux, and Chris Johnson | Curaleaf

• Be aware of extra regulatory requirements for buildouts in different states that require extra inspections, approvals etc specifically for cannabis production. Unlike other agricultural sectors, it’s not just buying and installing equipment. 
• Indoor grows in particular require a lot of legwork and attention to detail to get going and reap the benefits.
• “Once you scale, things that were previously easy are suddenly much harder to ensure a high quality product — your options for land and water are more limited, and mitigation factors are huge issues at scale.” — Zoey Buchanan, Agronomist

Episode #4 – OPTIMIZING THE GROW ENVIRONMENT

Moderator: Bill Abbott | GPS

Marielle Taft | Grodan, Inc

• How well cultivators manage each phase of growth for cannabis determines the yield.
• Third-party testing varies from state to state and are all highly sensitive, so being able to prepare with a data platform that gets very granular is “priceless” for saving time and money.
• Grodan’s platform draws the cultivar’s attention to the most important parameters that need to be refined or retooled.
• “The market is constantly in flux as consumer demand evolves, so this [platform] helps growers be flexible and reactive while getting consistent yield, with the ability to benchmark against previous grow cycles by strain.” — Marielle Taft

Episode #5 – DATA & TECH TIPS

Moderator: Tim Gordon | GPS

Mike Key | Impello Biosciences

Shaun Henderson | Nature’s Data

• Other agricultural products might have at least 100 years of data, but not cannabis. A data platform like Nature’s Data contributes to building a rich data set for the cannabis industry as a whole to use and access. They are collaborating with Impello Biosciences to refine and optimize sensors for optimizing a plant’s nutrients and inputs. 
• Data collection is critical to maximize the efficiency and efficacy of biostimulants and other inputs
• “These days, farming is so competitive but with new technology and data management, farmers can better work with environmental factors like soil microbes instead of working against them.” Mike Key, Impello Biosciences
• “We’re all learning in real time and crowd sourcing for the most important metrics for growing a plant medicine.” Shaun Henderson, Nature’s Data