{"id":9558,"date":"2022-10-17T12:49:52","date_gmt":"2022-10-17T12:49:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.denverpost.com\/?p=5403467"},"modified":"2022-10-17T12:49:52","modified_gmt":"2022-10-17T12:49:52","slug":"as-harvest-season-winds-up-many-cannabis-companies-prefer-to-grow-outdoors-despite-challenges","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/as-harvest-season-winds-up-many-cannabis-companies-prefer-to-grow-outdoors-despite-challenges\/","title":{"rendered":"As harvest season winds up, many cannabis companies prefer to grow outdoors, despite challenges"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"wp_fb_like_button\" style=\"margin:5px 0 5px 5px;float:right;height:100px;\"><script src=\"http:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/all.js#xfbml=1\"><\/script><fb:like href=\"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/as-harvest-season-winds-up-many-cannabis-companies-prefer-to-grow-outdoors-despite-challenges\/\" send=\"true\" layout=\"standard\" width=\"450\" show_faces=\"false\" font=\"arial\" action=\"like\" colorscheme=\"light\"><\/fb:like><\/div><div class=\"media_block\"><\/div>\n<p>For cannabis growers who plant outdoors, turning leaves signify the fall harvest. During the month of October \u2014 colloquially known as Croptober \u2014 cultivators throughout Colorado cut down their marijuana fields, the first step in the plants\u2019 journey to reach consumers at dispensaries.<\/p>\n<p>Growing outside is reminiscent of the days before cannabis was legal, when producers raised their crop in hidden fields rather than in today\u2019s high-tech indoor operations, which come with expensive lighting apparatuses, air monitoring equipment and soil treatment.<\/p>\n<p>But, it isn\u2019t easy. Growers contend with unpredictable weather, pests and natural disasters, like wildfires. They also face a long-rooted stigma that sun-grown cannabis is inferior to the flower grown indoors. Still, those who grow outside \u2014 including with greenhouses \u2014 point to plenty of benefits. Lower startup and operational costs allow them to increase their profit margins, while their operations have a lesser impact on the environment.<\/p>\n<p>From growers\u2019 perspectives, 2022 is a good year to be out in the sunshine.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis year and last year, weather-wise, were ideal,\u201d said Anthony Romero, director of operations at Pueblo West\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/stratosthc.com\/\">Stratos<\/a>, which completed its harvest last week with almost 1,000 plants. \u201cWe\u2019ve been able to wait for everything to finish, and take it down at our pace, instead of having to hurry against that snow or the cold.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Cultivators are increasingly looking to pinch pennies as well. The <a href=\"https:\/\/tax.colorado.gov\/sites\/tax\/files\/documents\/AMR_PriorRates_Oct2022.pdf\">average cannabis wholesale price recently fell to an all-time low of $658 per pound for flower,<\/a> according to the Colorado Department of Revenue. That\u2019s down 7% from the previous low of $709 per pound on July 1. The previous low point was $759 per pound in 2018.<\/p>\n<p>Factors contributing to the price slump include an oversupply of product and a drop in demand, due to inflation and legalization in neighboring states, said Truman Bradley, executive director of Marijuana Industry Group. Eager to win over consumers, dispensaries are also competing to offer product discounts.<\/p>\n<p>Mike Biggio, co-owner of <a href=\"https:\/\/coloradoarea420.com\/\">Area 420<\/a> near Moffat, estimates the cost of production for indoor grow houses near Denver is over $1,000 a pound. That includes electricity for grow lights, air conditioners and heaters, dehumidifiers and carbon dioxide generators.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDoing it outdoors, we\u2019re a fraction of that \u2013 I\u2019d say 10%,\u201d Biggio said. At Area 420, the sun \u201cis providing that power for us\u201d for free.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_5189452\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter size-article_inline\"><img class=\"lazyautosizes lazyload\" src=\"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/as-harvest-season-winds-up-many-cannabis-companies-prefer-to-grow-outdoors-despite-challenges.jpg\" alt=\"Mike Biggo, co-owner of Area 420, stands with his dog, Stash, in front of his business vehicle on April 20, 2022, in Moffat. (Photo by Helen H. Richardson\/The Denver Post)\" width=\"3600\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/as-harvest-season-winds-up-many-cannabis-companies-prefer-to-grow-outdoors-despite-challenges.jpg\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/as-harvest-season-winds-up-many-cannabis-companies-prefer-to-grow-outdoors-despite-challenges.jpg 620w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.denverpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/TDP-L-RURAL_CANNABIS_037.jpg?fit=780%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 780w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.denverpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/TDP-L-RURAL_CANNABIS_037.jpg?fit=810%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 810w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.denverpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/TDP-L-RURAL_CANNABIS_037.jpg?fit=1280%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1280w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.denverpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/TDP-L-RURAL_CANNABIS_037.jpg?fit=1860%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1860w\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mike Biggio, co-owner of Area 420, stands with his dog, Stash, in front of his business vehicle on April 20, 2022, in Moffat. (Photo by Helen H. Richardson\/The Denver Post)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3>Obstacles, benefits of sun-grown marijuana<\/h3>\n<p>Colorado\u2019s recreational industry got its start indoors because the first municipalities to allow cultivation were in urban areas, such as Denver and Boulder, Bradley said. It wasn\u2019t until Pueblo opted to allow recreational businesses that the industry started to see outdoor, or sun-grown, marijuana grows.<\/p>\n<p>Early regulations also required dispensaries to be vertically integrated, meaning they had to grow the vast majority of the crop they sold. When <a href=\"https:\/\/mjbizdaily.com\/colorado-welcomes-new-rec-entrepreneurs-abandons-vertical-integration\/\">Colorado got rid of the requirement in 2014<\/a>, businesses focusing exclusively on cultivation flourished, Bradley said.<\/p>\n<p>Today, Colorado cultivators grow outdoors in a variety of ways. In February or March, Stratos\u2019 farming team gathers clones, or cuttings of marijuana plants, from its one-acre outdoor plot and then protects them inside of a greenhouse. After the last frost of the year \u2013 typically in May and June \u2013 the plants move outdoors. From there, the length of the growing process depends on the strain.<\/p>\n<p>But success also relies on the weather. Wind and hail can damage the plants, while wildfire smoke can contaminate them, said Chelsey Joseph, founder and CEO of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shoptherepublic.com\/\">The Republic<\/a>, an outdoor grow and dispensary in Boulder.<\/p>\n<p>Joseph recently harvested about 1,500 plants from her farm, which were planted in long rows exposed to the elements like any other crop. She previously used a greenhouse, but, in 2021, the weather that drove the Marshall Fire blew the roof off.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe have to stay very nimble,\u201d she said. \u201cOur cultivation team is constantly running through contingency plans and what-if scenarios, so we can act quickly if there\u2019s a change in weather or unexpected environmental hazard.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_5385527\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter size-article_inline\"><img class=\"lazyautosizes lazyload\" src=\"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/as-harvest-season-winds-up-many-cannabis-companies-prefer-to-grow-outdoors-despite-challenges-1.jpg\" alt=\"The Republic cannabis cultivation is in the middle of harvest season for its outdoor cannabis grow on September 19, 2022 in Boulder, Colorado. (Photo by RJ Sangosti\/The Denver Post)\" width=\"7408\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/as-harvest-season-winds-up-many-cannabis-companies-prefer-to-grow-outdoors-despite-challenges-1.jpg\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/as-harvest-season-winds-up-many-cannabis-companies-prefer-to-grow-outdoors-despite-challenges-1.jpg 620w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.denverpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/TDP-L-cannabis-cultivation-RJS-12773.jpg?fit=780%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 780w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.denverpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/TDP-L-cannabis-cultivation-RJS-12773.jpg?fit=810%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 810w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.denverpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/TDP-L-cannabis-cultivation-RJS-12773.jpg?fit=1280%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1280w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.denverpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/TDP-L-cannabis-cultivation-RJS-12773.jpg?fit=1860%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1860w\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Republic cannabis cultivation is in the middle of harvest season for its outdoor cannabis grow on Sept. 19, 2022 in Boulder. (Photo by RJ Sangosti\/The Denver Post)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Pests also present challenges. This year, caterpillars that burrow into marijuana flowers were Stratos\u2019 biggest issue, Romero said.<\/p>\n<p>Despite the obstacles, advocates are quick to tout the benefits of sun-grown pot. In addition to being cost-effective, it\u2019s also energy efficient.<\/p>\n<p>A 2021 Colorado State University study sought to quantify the environmental impact from indoor cannabis cultivation. Researchers estimated <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cpr.org\/2021\/04\/06\/colorado-marijuana-industry-environmental-impact\/\">indoor growing accounted for 1.3% of total greenhouse gas emissions<\/a> in the state, Colorado Public Radio reported. Comparatively, coal mining contributed 1.8%, the station said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAt the end of the day, the sun is going to be powerful; the wind and the weather are what they are. It\u2019s more about selecting the best environment,\u201d said Amanda Reiman, chief knowledge officer at analytics firm New Frontier Data.<\/p>\n<p>At Area 420, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.denverpost.com\/2022\/05\/04\/marijuana-rural-urban-hooper-election-legal-sales\/\">a 420-acre plot that works like a co-op for marijuana licensees<\/a>, a water table sits about six feet underground and is accessible with menial irrigation. Biggio said the soil lacks many heavy metals, meaning plants grown there can more easily pass the state\u2019s safety and testing requirements.<\/p>\n<p>Area 420\u2019s growing season at 7,566 feet in elevation is shorter, but the conditions are so ideal that Biggio, who maintains a year-round greenhouse, is planning to add an outdoor plot next year.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_5189436\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter size-article_inline\"><img class=\"lazyautosizes lazyload\" src=\"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/as-harvest-season-winds-up-many-cannabis-companies-prefer-to-grow-outdoors-despite-challenges-2.jpg\" alt=\"\u00ca Matt Litrenta, left, and Mike ...\" width=\"4176\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/as-harvest-season-winds-up-many-cannabis-companies-prefer-to-grow-outdoors-despite-challenges-2.jpg\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/as-harvest-season-winds-up-many-cannabis-companies-prefer-to-grow-outdoors-despite-challenges-2.jpg 620w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.denverpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/TDP-L-RURAL_CANNABIS_032.jpg?fit=780%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 780w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.denverpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/TDP-L-RURAL_CANNABIS_032.jpg?fit=810%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 810w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.denverpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/TDP-L-RURAL_CANNABIS_032.jpg?fit=1280%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1280w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.denverpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/TDP-L-RURAL_CANNABIS_032.jpg?fit=1860%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1860w\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Matt Litrenta, left, and Mike Biggio, right, check on some of their cannabis plants inside Flower Factory at Area 420 on April 20, 2022, in Moffat. (Photo by Helen H. Richardson, The Denver Post)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3>Climate and cannabis<\/h3>\n<p>Colorado produced more than 17 million plants for medical and recreational use in 2021, and the state\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/public.tableau.com\/app\/profile\/cu.business.research.division\/viz\/ColoradoMEDDashboard\/Overview\">Marijuana Enforcement Division reported<\/a> that an average of 1,258,552 plants are cultivated monthly.<\/p>\n<p>New Frontier Data estimates that indoor accounts for roughly 50% of legal weed in Colorado, while greenhouses account for 35% and outdoor contributes 15%. In 2021, growers harvested about 427,000 pounds of indoor cannabis, 299,000 pounds of greenhouse and 128,000 pounds of outdoor, the firm reported. It expects those figures to decrease in 2022.<\/p>\n<p>New Frontier Data predicts that, by 2030, <a href=\"https:\/\/3324860.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net\/hubfs\/3324860\/Reports\/NFD-CultivationReport.pdf?utm_campaign=Growing%20Excellence%3A%20Seven%20Ways%20to%20Optimize%20Cannabis%20Cultivation%20in%20Newly%20Legal%20Markets.&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;_hsmi=225182737&amp;_hsenc=p2ANqtz--iCzEzitOYAfuShzZlpa8KuHC5jRQRx7Ku84MfKfGBfodrZ8WgJFr0LH_sZKkDbBktk4wwgLBqM6xPE9EU6Mhwg4pLrcjNiCkWoihUPVG7irePkuI&amp;utm_content=225182737&amp;utm_source=hs_automation\">Colorado will continue to grow equally as much indoor as greenhouse and outdoor cannabis combined<\/a>, with greenhouses being the predominant outdoor form. That will be in response to climate change, Reiman said.\u00a0But, for now, \u201cwe should be throwing weight behind what\u2019s sustainable.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere\u2019s no reason to force people into highly energy-intensive cultivation if the climate doesn\u2019t require it,\u201d Reiman said.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_5385526\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter size-article_inline\"><img class=\"lazyautosizes lazyload\" src=\"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/as-harvest-season-winds-up-many-cannabis-companies-prefer-to-grow-outdoors-despite-challenges-3.jpg\" alt=\"Dave Schlax, an employee at The Republic cannabis cultivation, hangs up plants to dry on Sept. 19, 2022, in Boulder. (Photo by RJ Sangosti\/The Denver Post)\" width=\"7891\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/as-harvest-season-winds-up-many-cannabis-companies-prefer-to-grow-outdoors-despite-challenges-3.jpg\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/as-harvest-season-winds-up-many-cannabis-companies-prefer-to-grow-outdoors-despite-challenges-3.jpg 620w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.denverpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/TDP-L-cannabis-cultivation-RJS-12662.jpg?fit=780%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 780w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.denverpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/TDP-L-cannabis-cultivation-RJS-12662.jpg?fit=810%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 810w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.denverpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/TDP-L-cannabis-cultivation-RJS-12662.jpg?fit=1280%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1280w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.denverpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/TDP-L-cannabis-cultivation-RJS-12662.jpg?fit=1860%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1860w\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dave Schlax, an employee at The Republic cannabis cultivation, hangs up plants to dry on Sept. 19, 2022, in Boulder. (Photo by RJ Sangosti\/The Denver Post)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<aside class=\"related right\">\n<\/aside>\n<p>But some key players in the local industry, such as Native Roots Cannabis Co., avoid growing outdoors altogether. The reasons \u201call tie back to quality,\u201d said Buck Dutton, vice president of marketing.<\/p>\n<p>Indoor grows don\u2019t confine them to a singular growing season or leave them vulnerable to weather and pests. Alternatively, growing indoors puts every function into their control \u201cso that we can produce the highest quality of flower possible,\u201d Dutton said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTop shelf [flower] is usually grown indoors because the environment can be more controlled,\u201d said Bradley. \u201cNot to say outdoor flower doesn\u2019t make it to the dispensary, because it does. But a significant portion of cannabis grown outdoors is used for extraction to make oil and edibles, concentrates, extracts and tinctures.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Flower is the most popular product choice among consumers; it remains to be seen if demand will gravitate toward sun-grown strains. Joseph at The Republic hopes to entice customers by helping them save money.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re currently selling outdoor for $75 to $100 an ounce,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s very affordable.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"media_block\"><\/div>\n<p>Those who grow outside \u2014 including with greenhouses \u2014 point to plenty of benefits. Lower startup and operational costs allow them to increase their profit margins, while their operations have a lesser impact on the environment. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[5183,8440,5062,52,8441,8442,7938,77,6933,6999,6815,9,6882,5019,1,3,7072,6923,61,1736],"tags":[5191,8443,5063,2632,8444,8445,7939,2655,6934,7000,6820,6883,5022,7073,6924],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9558"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9558"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9558\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9558"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9558"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9558"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}