In the cannabis industry, many professional growers get their start as hobbyists. But eventually, if you are good, it becomes tempting to make the leap to become a commercial cannabis grower.
With cannabis becoming legalized in more and more states, becoming a commercial cannabis grower is a valid – and lucrative – career option for hobbyists looking to advance their professional lives.
But it isn’t as simple as growing more and more plants, however. Like anything, making the leap from hobbyist to commercial cannabis grower involves long-term thinking, investments and partnerships.
For growers looking to make the leap to commercial cannabis grower, here are some tips.
Partnerships
Growers who are considering upsizing their operations to become a commercial cannabis grower first need to think about developing partnerships. Like any industry, there are those who have gone before you, and finding an experienced and knowledgeable business coach is really the first thing you need to find. Being successful means, you need coaching, so you’ll need to find a consultant or coach you align with. For example, if you want to grow organically, you need to find a consultant or coach who understands that process – and its pitfalls, challenges and benefits.
Ready to go shipping container with installed aquaponics, system combines fish aquaculture with hydroponics, cultivating plants in water under artificial lighting
A good coach or consultant will advise the new commercial cannabis grower on how to outfit a grow room or multiple grow rooms – taking what is already done and expanding it to scale.
At SpecGrade LED, we talk to cultivators daily and we see many of them start as hobbyists and grow into craft growers and then advance to a larger, commercial setting – essentially going from growing on a table to growing in a large warehouse.
There are many hurdles to overcome: Learning to grow vertically to maximize space, licensing and regulatory challenges and how to either outfit or modify a large-scale growing operation or facility.
Vertical horticulture is something most hobbyists don’t utilize, but in commercial operations it is the future, but the new commercial cannabis cultivator will need to become an expert in areas of study such as microclimates. Making the leap involves more than simple knowledge of plants and lighting. This leads us to our next tip: How to choose, invest and partner with a lighting manufacturer.
Lighting
As an LED grow light manufacturer, we work with all types of commercial cannabis cultivators all the time.
Cannabis cultivation facility in Maine.
Lighting manufacturers are great partners to have, as we can provide support and expertise to every size of growing operation. We can provide free layouts and help with placement and product selection. Whether you are growing a few plants or running a large-scale vertical commercial cannabis operation, lighting is a major investment and can be a make-or-break asset to the commercial cannabis grower.
Lighting manufacturers work with different kinds of lights, while most hobbyists only have experience with a single grow light or system. But in the commercial field, many different types of lights are used, to usher plants from seedling, to clone to plant to flowering and ultimately harvest. That means as a commercial cannabis cultivator, you’ll need to understand propagation lights, vegging lights and flowering lights – and how to use each type at the correct intensity (for example, propagation uses the least wattage and flowering uses the most).
Long-term planning
When making the leap from hobbyist to commercial cannabis cultivator, it’s like going from Little League to the Majors. It isn’t something you can do without having a career arc or path. When you work for yourself, you don’t have anyone to answer to, but in a large commercial operation, for example, you’ll need to become someone’s boss and know how to lead others.
Image courtesy of Hermetic Flower Company, Oklahoma.
That may mean taking courses in leadership or education, because you’ll also have to teach your methodologies to new people, communicate with vendors and manage your time, your energy and your knowledge – while keeping your horticultural environment stable and productive.
You’ll also have to look ahead – staying on top of the latest trends and developments in a rapidly changing – and highly competitive – industry.
It’s a huge leap.
The Key Takeaway
At SpecGrade LED, we’ve seen growers struggle when they transition from hobbyist to commercial cannabis grower.
One thing that seems to set the successes apart from those who are more challenged is finding people to lean on and help you grow into your new role.
A good consultant is the key to long term success. Ask your lighting manufacturer – they know the consultants best and can help you make the connection. Educate yourself as much as possible and surround yourself with a good team.
It is easy to make a common error that you can’t recover from, but a solid consultant can guide you through the process and help you maximize your potential.
