As the cannabis industry continues to skyrocket beyond once unforeseen metrics, the holy grail of plants has become more accessible to consumers all over the globe. Today, economic publications around the globe project the industry to easily surpass $200 by the year 2030. The cannabis industry has come quite a way since the years of cannabis prohibition. Consumers can walk into a dispensary in today’s landscape to purchase cannabis and cannabis-related products with little to no hassle. As cannabis grows in popularity, consumers become more conscious of understanding the origins of consuming. These concerns have given birth to a new debate within the cannabis community: which method of growing cannabis is better? Is it a method full of tender love and care or the more commercial-style approach often utilized by more prominent corporations?
Understanding the Caregiver Method
Growing cannabis is relatively easy. However, growing good cannabis requires a lot of detail. This is why the method that requires the most of a cultivator’s time, attention, and dedication is often referred to as the ‘caregiver method.’ This method requires cannabis growers to tend the plant (as well as the soil) from ‘plant-to-rolling-paper’ or ‘bud-to-blunt’ and so forth. The caregiver will manage the plant’s light schedule, nutrients, CO2 intake, etc., across all cycles of the plant’s life. The caregiver method can produce some of the best craft cannabis consumers have ever experienced when done right.
Why the Caregiver Method is loved in cannabis cultivation
As aforementioned, the caregiver method can produce top-shelf quality craft cannabis when done correctly. Like the appeal associated with the growth of organic produce, the caregiver method provides consumers with the comfort of knowing that they are not receiving ‘run-of-the-mill’ cannabis. Moreover, caregivers often have a more organic approach versus the buds that are commercially crafted.
Disadvantages of the Caregiver-grown cannabis
One of the significant disadvantages associated with the caregiver method of growing cannabis is the inability to correctly measure and dose the necessities required for the plant’s life. For example, cannabis requires a dedicated light schedule and feeding schedule throughout its life. It can be challenging for caregivers to provide the exact amount of trace nutrients required without overfeeding. Moreover, there appears to be a cloud of distrust among consumers associated with caregivers and the growth of cannabis as they are often lumped in with ‘black market growers.’
Evaluating commercially-grown cannabis
Commercially-grown cannabis is just as it sounds; this method utilizes industrial hardware designed exclusively for the growth, maintenance, manicuring, pest control, as well as harvesting of cannabis. More prominent cannabis brands use commercial grow methods to maximize profitability and productivity while minimizing manufacturing costs.
Upsides of commercial cannabis
There are a few advantages associated with cannabis that has been grown commercially. When industrial hardware is utilized in growing cannabis, essential factors such as the plant’s feeding schedule, lighting, macronutrients, and trace nutrients required for the plant (and the soil) can be regulated autonomously. This leaves little room for errors often associated with growing cannabis, such as overfeeding or improper light or CO2 consumption.
Drawbacks of commercially-grown cannabis
Commercially-grown cannabis also has its disadvantages. The major drawback that is often associated with commercial cannabis is its mass-produced appeal. We live in a society becoming more conscious of what they are consuming daily, including cannabis. When choosing something ready-made versus something ‘organic,’ most consumers will always pick the latter due to its ‘caregiver’ appeal. It is also worth noting that there is a similar cloud of distrust associated with commercially-grown cannabis, thanks to the recent news of cannabis manufacturers illicitly selling cannabis that failed inspection on the black market to salvage profit margins.