Marijuana Business Magazine - Issue 09, Oct 2017

However, even occasional success can be a boon to your company’s long-term health. “Without this research-and-devel- opment mentality, you run the risk of going out of business because your other competitors are pushing the envelope and you’re left in the dust,” said Jona- than Cachat, CEO of Cleveland-based CCV Research, which develops new indoor cultivation techniques. It’s also something many cultivators are simply naturally interested in. Gary Mancini, co-founder of San Diego-based Innovative Solutions, said that even though his company offers case studies and data when providing air purification and sanitization equipment to cultivators, growers still want to try out the new gear. “With the value of a crop it makes sense to me that before (a cultivator) makes any major change in the process that they would test it on a smaller scale somehow,” he said. Tim Cullen – CEO of Colorado Harvest Company, a vertically inte- grated cultivation and retail business in Denver – noted that new technology is entering the market constantly. And while not all of it is something his com- pany wants to pursue, “some of it is,” he said. “And the only way to really test it is to run an experiment with it.” He has set aside a 2,500-square-foot room with 22 lights for experimentation. “(That’s) enough of a sample size to make it valid,” Cullen added. “To be able to look at different aspects of plant production.” EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Setting aside space to experiment and try new techniques is an essen- tial part of any forward-thinking cultivation operation. When experi- menting at your cultivation facility, keep in mind that: • It pays to innovate with different lighting, strains, nutrient mixes and other variables to remain competitive. • Experimenting with lighting can lead to significant gains in yield. • The cost of experimentation is worth it, even if it causes a temporary loss of yield. • You should limit your experiments to one variable at a time to better understand the changes that are occurring. • Experimentation takes time and patience. A cultivation facility at Colorado Harvest Company in Denver. Photo courtesy of Colorado Harvest Company 46 • Marijuana Business Magazine • October 2017