The cannabis industry has experienced considerable changes in recent years; expanding legalization led to a flood of investors, which allowed for rapid growth in a short period. However, rapid growth comes with growing pains, and many growers and retailers see stiff competition. Staying informed of industry trends and common problems is essential in protecting your brand. Here are a few of the biggest struggles for the cannabis industry.
Pest Control
All serious growers understand the headache that comes with dealing with pests. Because the cannabis plant is so highly absorbent, growers have to choose carefully what chemicals and pesticides can be used on or around their crops. As a result, many farmers choose to grow indoors to avoid cross-contamination of chemicals from other farms affecting their yield. Still, you can’t sidestep pesticides altogether either, even just one outbreak can destroy entire crops, taking hundreds of thousands of dollars in expected revenue.
Contaminants
Along with growth problems, there are issues like humidity control, temperature control, and the ability to maintain consistent yields. Many farmers lose crops to powdery mildew and struggle to maintain a consistent product.
The excellent news is 3rd party lab testing has been helping farmers deal with these issues. Whether you grow indoors or outdoors, consistently testing plants in all stages of the growing and harvesting cycle can give farmers quick and valuable information about precisely what their plants are exposed to. This can help farmers make more informed decisions about water, chemicals, and even when to harvest. The more informed you are, the better equipped you can manage your plants, and your yields will become more consistent.
Ever-Changing Landscape
Outside of the challenges of regular farming, the cannabis business faces the unique challenges of an ever-changing legal landscape. This isn’t just a problem for U.S. growers. As cannabis grows as a global industry, many countries have varying laws applying to the legality of use, distribution, and growth of cannabis.
Outside of the ever-changing legalities, high competition is an issue for many. This directly affects cannabis producers when more established companies outside of the industry expand their foothold, such as the tobacco and pharmaceutical industry. This happens when large companies see the rapid growth of this market and acquire smaller companies intending to create their products to sell. This can make the success of smaller farms a challenge as they try to compete with well-financed more giant corporations.
One of the best ways to combat this is to work with an independent 3rd party lab. When you can show evidence of plants being tested at every stage of growing, harvesting, and processing and prove that you have high-quality plants, you can provide potential investors with proof of a consistent product. Those are the tools that can set your products apart from the rest.
Importance of 3rd Party Testing
At LUX Leaf, we understand that your business depends on getting accurate information about your product, and we understand the evolving needs of this industry. We have heavily invested in quality equipment, software, and a nationwide courier network and streamlined our processes to enable our talented lab technicians to deliver quick results for our clients. We desire to provide you with accurate results at every stage of your growth harvest and testing so you can be empowered to make the best decisions for your business.