Culture Archives - Page 30 of 30 - The Real Dirt with Chip Baker

Women in Cannabis

by Travis C | Mar 5, 2018 | 420 Culture & Travel, 420 News, Blog, Business, Culture

The cannabis industry has been booming since it started, and an increasing number of women in cannabis is showing a promising trend for the future.

The legalized cannabis market has opened the door to an industry with a much stronger female presence compared to other industries, with more women in cannabis than many other industries.

Women in Cannabis

23% of executives across all US industries are female. In the cannabis industry, that number is a little bit higher, with recent statistics from 2017 showing 27% of executive positions in the cannabis industry are held by women. Additionally, women make up 42% of executive positions for ancillary services companies and 35% of medical dispensaries/recreational stores.

These numbers would suggest that the cannabis industry is more encouraging and accepting of female leaders and women in cannabis, yet the industry is still quite male-focused.

Re-imagining the Stoner

Take the stoner stereotype for example; the typical stoner was a young male who was lazy, sitting on the couch, like The Big Lebowski or Pineapple Express.

Now we all know that this stereotype is untrue for most of us, but the issue isn’t that the stereotype is that stoners are lazy, but that they are mostly men. Statistically, women consume just as much cannabis as men, with a survey from the Cannabis Consumers Coalition finding that 53% of women consume cannabis compared to only 42% of men.

This has led to products and groups created specifically aimed at female cannabis users and the women in cannabis.

A Brand New Marketplace

More feminine branded products like Canndescent are aimed at women who value design as much as they value good cannabis. AnnaBis is a female, odor-proof bag that women can store their cannabis in without having to worry about smell, while still staying fashionable.

With women holding more positions of power in the cannabis industry than any other US industry, we will see a whole new industry dynamic start to form. Other industries will hopefully learn the value of equal representation from men and women in positions of power, and the cannabis industry can act as a guide for inclusivity.

Tune into the new episode of The Real Dirt Podcast with Heather Moore from Earl’s in Leadville, as she discusses running her own grow and how she got into the cannabis industry as a woman.

Craft Cannabis with Dave Perkins – The Real Dirt with Chip Baker

by Travis C | Feb 26, 2018 | 420 News, Business, Culture, Growing, Guest, Season 2, The Real Dirt Podcast Episodes

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A little over a year ago, Dave Perkins moved to Washington with his family to pursue his dream of working in the cannabis industry. He would end up working with a cannabis consulting group that aided cannabis businesses in branding, promoting, and even growing their product. He currently works with Artizen Cannabis Company, one of the leading distributors of craft cannabis in the state of Washington.

From modernizing the technology inside the grow to finding the right buyers, Dave helps Washington cannabis brands find their footing and boost their visibility.

“It all comes down to different price points. Different quality. It’s all the same.”

The Washington cannabis market is constantly moving an changing, and staying on top of the trends is essential to staying on top of the industry. The competition in Washington leads to a fight over quantity and price more than quality. Whoever can produce the most decent quality cannabis that consumers still buy, will be the most successful.

Artizen has managed to meet this criteria while still providing some of the highest quality craft Washington cannabis in the state. As one of the top distributors in the state, Artizen grows a variety of strains, some well-known and others exclusive to the Washington cannabis industry. All of their cannabis is vigorously tested and monitored from seed (or clone) to harvest for a top-notch product that consumers love.

Listen to Dave’s story and where he thinks the cannabis industry is moving on this week’s episode of The Real Dirt Podcast!

Craft Cannabis: what is the ‘Craft’ difference?

by Travis C | Feb 22, 2018 | 420 Culture & Travel, Blog, Culture, Growing

Many people are exposed to cannabis in a very nonchalant way. They get passed a joint. The uninitiated may take two hits and pass and notice not much difference.

Every now and then, however, you will get passed a joint that gets you higher than a Georgia pine. This isn’t just the THC level. When cannabis smells overly aromatic, looks absolutely perfect like breakfast cereal, and sends your brain soaring through the atmosphere, you may have just experienced craft cannabis.

A new love for an old plant

Just like beer and liquor, cannabis can also be grown as a boutique crop. In the past 30 years due to its prohibited nature, cannabis has often been grown in the biggest and fastest way to produce as many grams per square foot. This has promoted really high yields and fast growing cannabis.

However something is lost in the commercialization of large-scale ganja.

Craft Cannabis

Craft cannabis is grown by artisans. They put all of their energy into the cannabis plant to grow perfect looking nuggets that smell and taste incredible. Yield and vigor may not even matter to them. This focus can bring the best out of even the most commercial weeds.

Compared to a large grow operation that produces cannabis en masse, craft cannabis is usually grown in small batches. Each individual plant in a batch gets close attention every step along the way, making it much less likely that a plant develops any sort of mold or disease.

Think about craft beer; microbrews, and slow-brewed coffee. These are all considered “craft” due to their small batch production and high attention to detail, giving way to much better flavors, aromas, and overall quality. Craft cannabis is no different.

Worth the effort?

Let’s not confuse the size of the cannabis operation or their technique to put them in a craft category. Cannabis can be grown on a large scale in this artesanal manner. It requires extra care, extra time and absolutely extra dollars.

Unfortunately, craft cannabis often doesn’t bring any higher price in the marketplace. It requires a certain marketing technique in order to bring a higher price. Think farm-direct or designer model.

So the next time you’re in the circle, and a whiff of blue smoke comes your way, hit the joint and roll the vapor across your palate. Then ask yourself, is this craft cannabis?

And don’t forget to tune in to the new episode of The Real Dirt, Monday February 26th. Chip sits down with Dave from Artizen Cannabis, a craft cannabis company based in Washington.

Marijuana Seeds vs Clones

by Travis C | Feb 16, 2018 | 420 Culture & Travel, Blog, Broscience Mythbusters, Culture, Growing

If you asked a grower if they preferred marijuana seeds or clones, you probably wouldn’t get a straight answer. That’s because there is a divide between the community on which may be better.

Cultivation methods are changing all the time. Both marijuana seeds and clones have the potential to grow into a beautiful and healthy cannabis plant. While each has its benefits compared to the other, both also have downsides that should make you question which option is best for you.

Clones

To start with the end, if you are a new grower, clones are the way to go. Unlike marijuana seeds, clones are pieces of the cannabis plant, usually a lateral branch, that is cut off of the mother plant.Taking a clone from one mother strain will result in a plant identical to the one you took from. However, this does not come without any risks.

If the mother plant has a disease that wasn’t caught before clones were cut, those clones will carry that disease. Clones will also be much more sensitive upon replanting, and have an increased chance of transplant shock.

Transplanting alone can cause its own issues for an experienced grower. Newer growers should be wary of the attention a clone may need before sticking it in some soil and assuming it will grow with some water and light. It wouldn’t hurt to get advice from a master grower, which The Real Dirt has already done for you.

Cheap but risky

Clones overall are a cheap option, and sell for anywhere between $2 and $15 with the exception of the higher priced ones. The wide availability of clones has led to plenty of guides and information about growing individual strains. This means you can know what to expect of certain strains before you plant them.

An unfortunate downside to the wide availability of clones however, is just that; there are so many clones being sold and produced that mix-ups can happen, where a strain labeled one name is actually another. Even worse is shoddy clones suppliers that lie about their product in order to sell more.

If clones don’t seem all that enticing, marijuana seeds may be the better option.

Marijuana Seeds

Seeds are the start of life. Marijuana seeds start from the beginning. While for a new grower this may seem very intimidating, the benefits and rewards may well be worth the extra effort.

Because marijuana is an annual plant, it’s life cycle isn’t meant to last more than a few months. Seeds start young and grow a full life-cycle. This gives seeds stronger hearty roots and a firm tap root that a clone simply can’t achieve coming from a mother plant.

A fresh, mysterious start

Marijuana seeds lack the issues like mildew and bugs that a clone might inherit from its mother. They also have additional tolerances to wind and rain that make them much more vigorous and durable.

One of the downsides to seeds is the mystery. Unless you obtain feminized seeds which are bred to always grow female, you will not know the sex of your plant until a few weeks of taking care of it. There’s also the mystery of how a seed will grow, and it can take time with multiple of the same seed to dial it in and figure out the growth patterns. However there are plenty of seed banks that keep track of their specific strains and phenotypes so you don’t have to worry as much.

Lastly, marijuana seeds can be expensive. While some seeds can cost less than a clone, others can be outlandishly priced. Normally one can expect to pay around $10 for a single seed of a basic strain.

Which will you choose?

Both seeds and clones have their pros and cons, and choice of which to grow with is a matter of preference. Marijuana seeds will give the full experience of planting to harvesting and all of the knowledge and complications that come with it. Clones give your grow a kickstart, so you don’t have to worry about germinating and all of the other early stage processes. But, you add the risk of inherited diseases and complications of dealing with a clone.

It all depends how involved you really want to be with your grow. Whether just at the beginning to make sure your clone takes off, or there from the start to watch the marijuana seed you planted turn into a beautiful marijuana plant.