The Speakeasy Craft Cannabis Success Story
Speakeasy Could Double Its Bumper Crop from Last Year to Become a Craft Cannabis Success Story – LPC
BC-based Speakeasy is quickly becoming a craft cannabis success story in Canada. It announced recently that it had planted 100,000 cannabis plants this growing season. That could mean a doubling of production from last year’s bumper crop.
In 2020, Speakeasy’s crop topped 72,000 kg with a reported THC level of 15 to 18 per cent. This year, it could top 140,000 kg. Speakeasy Founder Mark Green told the Daily Hive that they were able to take what they learned from last year’s harvest to improve this year’s crop.
“We were able to collect a lot of data from the 2020 harvest and in 2021 we’ve optimized every aspect to ensure maximum yield and efficiency,” Green said. “Overall the plants look great and we are looking forward to a large healthy harvest this fall.”
At 60 acres, Speakeasy has one of the largest outdoor growing operations in Canada. The hotter weather this season could help turn this into an extra special craft cannabis success story.
“June 2020 was the coolest, wettest season on record while June 2021 was the hottest and driest,” Green said. “The extremely high temperatures had a dramatic effect on many agricultural crops in Western Canada this year, but thankfully cannabis is a heat-loving plant. Given enough water, they thrive in very warm weather.”
Production costs are another part of the story. Indoor-grown cannabis can cost $2 per gram versus about $0.25 per gram for outdoor-grown cannabis. However, Speakeasy claims to blow that number away as well. Its costs are $0.04 per gram, Green said.
Outdoor Cannabis Part of the Craft Cannabis Success Story – LPC
Outdoor cannabis has been part of the craft cannabis success story since the beginning. Alefia was the first licensed producer (LP) in Canada to move to outdoor cannabis operations just months after legalization.
Another craft cannabis LP, 7 Farms Down in Ontario, also turned to outdoor cannabis. Jason Guttridge, one of the owners of the company, said that small-batch, handcrafted outdoor cannabis is the way to go.
“There are a lot of proven agricultural techniques that are already kind of readily available to us. I don’t really have to go reinventing the wheel,” Guttridge said.
However, one big difference for Speakeasy is that it also holds retail licences in the West. The LP also has an application in to Health Canada to amend its licence to include extract.
“We’ve received our retail sales licence for Alberta and Saskatchewan,” Green said. “We’re days away from receiving our provincial sales licence for BC. Once that is approved we will be launching two brands for dried flower and concentrates.”
Proof positive that craft cannabis in Canada can find a way to remain competitive in the Canadian cannabis industry.
Read the Full Article at the Daily Hive
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