Cannabis Businesses are Making These 4 Strategic Innovations – Cannabis Hemp Blog

Despite these initial innovations, there’s still room for more. However, not all innovations are as obvious as infusing brownies with cannabis oil to craft edibles. Some innovations come on the business side of the cannabis industry.

Playing in multiple markets

Some cannabis brands are starting to play in multiple markets. For instance, Verano is a United States-based, licensed cannabis cultivator, manufacturer, and retailer of cannabis extract products. The company is committed to providing access to organic cannabis products to enhance health and wellness.

In addition to being a national distributor, Verano has a unique presence in the retail market with its Zen Leaf dispensaries. When you walk into a Zen Leaf dispensary, the décor makes you feel like you’ve just entered a spa for relaxation and rejuvenation with the house of Verano brands a focal point.

Verano has successfully entered multiple facets of the cannabis market in both production and retail. The company produces a variety of cannabis concentrates, edibles, extracts, flowers, and topicals under five brands: Agri-Kind, Avexia, Encore Edibles, MÜV, and Verano.

On the cultivation and manufacturing side, Verano’s cannabis products are organic. Not many people talk about organic cannabis. While cannabis is a strong plant that naturally resists pests, that doesn’t mean all cultivators refrain from using pesticides. In fact, most cultivators use insecticides and fungicides.

Cannabis is going organic

Organic cannabis is in high demand, yet short supply. First, the label “organic” is owned by the federal government and if you’re looking for cannabis labeled organic, you probably won’t find that word on the label.

Since cannabis is a Schedule I controlled substance, it’s not eligible to be certified organic by the USDA. When a product isn’t certified organic, it can’t be labeled or promoted as such without penalties. At best, manufacturers can say their cannabis is free from pesticides and chemical agents. This rule makes organic cannabis hard to find.

Although cannabis can’t be certified organic, there is a similar certification called the Clean Green certification. This certification is based on USDA organic standards and has additional environmental-related requirements.

The second reason organic cannabis is in short supply has to do with cost. It’s more expensive to cultivate any crop without the use of chemical pesticides and insecticides. There are natural alternatives, but they come with a greater chance of crop loss, which can make the cost of doing business even higher.

Organic cannabis brands have the market advantage

Despite the difficulty, brands that produce organic cannabis have a major advantage over other companies. Consumers want organic cannabis just like they want organic food. Producing organic cannabis actually has a better impact on health than most realize.

Smoking cannabis covered in pesticides will do more damage to your body than eating vegetables covered in pesticides. When you eat pesticides, your liver will filter out the toxins.

However, when you smoke pesticides, those chemicals will immediately enter your bloodstream unfiltered.

Using organic soil to cultivate cannabis also creates a better microbiome where plants will flourish. Many say this makes cannabis more potent. This makes sense, considering the plants get all the high-quality nutrients needed to grow to their full potential. Cannabis is a picky plant that needs specific soil composition, fertilizer, and nutrient mixes, so the more natural, the better.

Synthetic cannabis

Synthetic cannabis is created and sold by the pharmaceutical industry. While most people prefer the real deal, only synthetic cannabis products can become FDA-approved. This is what makes cannabis available to people in hospitals, nursing homes, and people who rely on their insurance for medication.

Unfortunately, even with a medical card, patients can’t consume real cannabis in a hospital or care facility. Insurance companies only cover pharmaceutical cannabis for certain conditions like epilepsy and cancer. While not ideal, at least some people will benefit from synthetic cannabis.

Crop steering

It’s not hard to believe that technology is helping cannabis growers in some interesting ways. For example, crop steering is the art of using sensors, and controls to track how climate and irrigation impact every stage of the cannabis growth cycle. The result is a better crop yield, hands down.

Technology and innovation optimize cannabis production

Companies in the cannabis market will continue using technology and innovation to optimize yields and produce more potent strains. To remain profitable in the cannabis industry, innovation is a priority.