Today’s technology allows us to do things that were unimaginable decades ago. A person from the past would see this world as nothing short of magical, and we are immune to its magic and efficiency.
In the internet’s age, we can order food, clothes, furniture, tools, gadgets, and anything else we can imagine right at our fingertips. With technology transforming nearly everything we do, it’s no surprise that it’s also changing the cannabis industry.
The cannabis industry is one of the fastest-growing in the world. Advances in technology can significantly change several industry sectors, including cannabis production and how users buy CBD products. In the following sections of this article, we have outlined the five best ways technology transforms the CBD industry for the better. Let’s get started.
Block-Chain Technology for Accountability
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We can divide the CBD industry into two camps: those that deliver high-quality products transparently and those looking for quick financial gains. The problem with this reality is that buyers are not always sure whether the product they buy is authentic and, even more important, safe.
With blockchain technology, CBD products will become more transparent and safer. Tech companies already have programs in place to track CBD products. Using a code, consumers can find out the origins of the plant, how growers nurtured it, and other pertinent details. For instance, you can check a quality CBD gummies UK using a code.
Using tracking software like this will help users feel relaxed and keep farmers, producers, and brands more accountable since it will require them to adhere to guidelines to implement the regulations. Many startups have already begun making blockchain integration possible, meaning that we may scan a barcode and receive relevant information about a product’s production and origins.
Vertical Air Solutions
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As vertical farming (growing crops indoors in vertically stacked layers) gained popularity, cannabis tech companies quickly realized they had to innovate to stay competitive. Among indoor cultivators’ issues is controlling environmental factors such as temperature, humidity, and CO2.
Growers can tweak their climate to match their plants’ conditions precisely by using environmental sensors and control systems. Every grower’s top goal is to have healthy plants that produce higher yields.
Cannabis cultivation facilities began installing vertical racks to maximize their productions when they adopted vertical rack installations. They had to design the space to accommodate the building. There was no way to reliably move air between grow rooms with a traditional airflow system.
Fog City Farms was one of the first adopters, developing a custom air circulation system to move moisture and stale air among the vertically stacked plants. As plants transpire, microclimates form, so constant airflow over the entire growth was crucial to achieving consistent results. This system was unique in the cannabis market. It was born out of necessity.
It led to Vertical Air Solutions-VAS, which Pipp Horticulture, a vertical rack producer, later acquired. VAS also patented its system, providing the marijuana industry with a significant technological breakthrough.
Genetic Engineering
Humans have certainly played a significant role in the plants’ evolution. The gene-editing process allows for strain development a fraction of its time with other methods. It pushes the cannabis plants’ ability to express themselves. A Crispr process (gene-editing) changes the DNA in the plant directly without adding foreign DNA.
Through extensive cross-breeding efforts, cultivators have shaped the genetic structure of the plant. There is a belief that marijuana is one of the world’s most hybridized and crossed plants. Therefore, you can think of Crispr as a high-tech variant of breeding.
Through gene editing, researchers can isolate and enhance various traits, such as:
- Disease resistance
- Biomass improvement
- Pest resistance
- Terpene and cannabinoid selection
- Increase trichomes
- Climate tolerance
- CBD/THC ratio
Electricity Storage
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The cost of growing cannabis is relatively high, with high energy costs. The economics of scale certainly decreases production per gram on huge grow farms. However, HPS lighting and temperature control systems can substantially strain the local electric grids and increase growers’ electric bills.
Tesla’s Powerwall and Powerpack solution might offer a solution to this problem. Its products both provide growers with the option of storing electricity, whether small, medium, or large. Besides the benefit of delivering energy during a power outage, this stored energy would also give growers the option to purchase electricity at off-peak hours to use during peak periods. Even though the savings would be insignificant, they might add up to a substantial saving for weed farmers.
Cannabinoid Biosynthesis
Technology might also change how we commercially produce cannabinoids. Currently, most producers use traditional extraction techniques. Fortunately, a new extraction method has made its way into the marketplace: biosynthesis.
Cronos Group has taken this to heart and entered a partnership with Ginkgo Bioworks worth $100 million. People expect Cronos Group will create eight cannabinoids commercially using Ginkgo’s microorganism platform.
Several other companies are also exploring this new method of extraction. They expect it will reduce costs and increase commercial yield. It would be possible to make cannabinoids on-demand and all year long.
Conclusion
Technology has improved various industries, and the CBD industry is experiencing the same. The above technologies present some of the best ways technology transforms the CBD industry. Once you decide to invest in this industry, understanding the above technologies can catapult your growth.
