Matt LaScala
Director of cultivation
Adakai
Phoenix, AZ
Winter in the desert is most certainly cannabis weather. We look forward to giving all our systems a break and enjoying all the seasonal changes associated with cooler temperatures. The plants are likely the most visibly pleased with the manipulation of abiotic stressors, as we not only see terpene and cannabinoid production increase slightly, but also secondary and tertiary metabolites as well.
Having that firm understanding of what the plant is capable of and exploiting that phenomenon effectively is a must when justifying the high costs associated with indoor plant production. Beyond that, crafting product specifications well beyond just THC and CBD content allow for a more consistent product across the market, more targeted treatments and better understanding of the therapy provided by these individual compounds and preparations.
Advancements in refinement/isolation and extraction technology have made safety and dosing of modern concentrates easier than ever. Because of that, it is important for people to understand which compounds provide therapy, and which ones do not. We hold a high value for the natural ratio of cannabinoids and terpenes delivered by mother nature, but we also create several products with ratios that would be very difficult to achieve batch uniformity without a little assistance from the lab.
At the end of the day it is important to keep an open mind and ask questions. Testing specifications and cannabis-specific labeling protocols are hopefully right around the corner on a national scale, so it will be useful to already know which compounds provide therapy.