As a cannabis quality assurance professional, you’ll want to ensure that the production of cannabis can be scaled up sufficiently while also meeting high standards. However, accomplishing this is a challenge in and of itself. Although recreational cannabis is legalized in Canada, scaling up faces both the typical challenges associated with growing any business, along with some unique hurdles.
Between meeting regulations set out by Health Canada, as well as approaches for eliminating pests and ensuring there’s enough product to meet demand, scaling up cannabis growth operations doesn’t come without its share of obstacles. However, those hoping to accomplish this can still do so successfully. Here are some reasons why scaling up efforts can provide challenges, and how to overcome them.
What is Scaling?
The process of scaling up is an important one to understand. This is what happens when any cannabis operation wants to expand in size, and grow greater quantities of cannabis to gain larger profits and meet consumer demand. For scaling up to work, there must be enough supply to meet new demand. Therefore, production capacity will need to be increased in order to succeed. Scaling up can involve:
- Working in a larger facility, or making better use of the facility you already work from
- Hiring more staff to produce sufficient amounts of cannabis
- Growing plants quickly instead of waiting several months for vegetative growth
- Growing the company through mergers and acquisitions
- Networking and attending functions to improve brand awareness
Cloning and tissue culture can be used to increase plant growth when scaling up
Pest Control, and Why It’s a Significant Obstacle for Scaling Up Growth Operations
During any effort to increase the scale of cannabis production, certain challenges can arise. One of the most significant challenges that can arise is pest control, as more plants have the potential to be affected. Therefore, anyone establishing a career in the industry after they study cannabis quality assurance should be on the lookout for these problems, as well as potential solutions.
Examples of pests that can pose threats for crops include:
- Spider mites
- Broad mites
- Fungus gnats
- Aphids
- Thrips
- Grasshoppers
- Whiteflies
Pest control is one of the most essential steps in successfully growing cannabis plants
Other Challenges Presented by Scaling Up, Explained for Students in Cannabis Industry Training
After your cannabis course, remember that various other challenges unrelated to pests can interfere with upscaling efforts.
Other challenges may include:
- Making sure the business has the financial means to scale up
- Using the correct nutrients to improve and increase cultivation
- Making sure THC percentages consistently match the ones being advertised
- Using the right amount of ultraviolet light to reach the desired THC percentage
Maintaining high standards of quality with a higher plant yield is important for scaling up
With a well-planned strategy to overcome any challenges, qualified professionals to grow plants and operate the facility with, and a consistent ability to maintain high standards of quality, scaling up a cannabis growth operation can become an easier process.
Do you want to begin your cannabis industry training?
Contact the Academy of Applied Pharmaceutical Sciences today to learn more!