Below are excerpts from the Ottawa Citizen posting by James Bagnall ‘From high-tech to pot: the business that might be the next big thing’ showcasing the step-by-step process of Tweed Marijuana inc.
Tweed lists 23 marijuana variants in its online store, although the company expects to have more than 80 available later this year. For the moment, the strains range in price from $5 per gram (for the product called Buddy, also known as L.A. Confidential) to $12 (for Clearwater, or Kali Mist).
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L.A. Confidential, for instance, has a THC concentration of 17.7 per cent, which is reasonably strong, and a relatively high CBD ratio of 0.48. The website notes the product is best consumed on “mellow weekends” and helps to reduce anxiety and nausea.
Kali Mist, on the other hand, uses a slightly lower concentration of THC and comes with a somewhat higher CBD ratio. It helps deal with stress and fatigue, can be used on weekdays. Oh, and it has “a sweet mango flavour.”
Tweed was able to vastly expand its product portfolio during the transition period leading up to the April 1 changeover in rules favouring commercial suppliers.
With approval from Health Canada, Tweed employees criss-crossed the country purchasing seeds and plant materials from home-based growers.
Read more at Home grown: How Tweed Marijuana Inc. could be the next big thing by James Bagnall
Step by step: Processing medical marijuana
STEP 1: CUTTINGS
Hand span-sized cuttings are taken from mother plants.
STEP 2: ROOT PRODUCTION
The plant cuttings are fertilized until they grow roots.
STEP 3: CLONES
When clones of the mother plant have grown sufficiently, they are replanted into larger pots before being placed into a flowering room. Here, section grower Morgan Blenk does the replanting.
STEP 4: FLOWERING ROOM
This is where the plants will mature over eight to 10 weeks. Under bright lights that operate on a 12-hour cycle, the blooming process is triggered. Here, master grower Ryan Douglas is on an inspection tour of the room.
STEP 5: HARVEST
Workers harvest the plant at soil level, tag and remove the fan leaves.
STEP 6: DRYING ROOM
A worker hangs plants to dry in the drying room for about a week. The room will hold about 45 kilograms of pot at a time.
STEP 7: REMOVING BUDS
The buds are removed from the stem and the leaves and stem destroyed.
STEP 8: CURING
The buds are placed in a temperature-controlled vault for further curing. This improves taste and smell. However, THC levels do not fluctuate at all during this process.
STEP 9: PACKAGING
The process ends with the marijuana packaged into 15-gram and 30-gram plastic jars, ready for shipping.
Photos by Julie Oliver, Ottawa Citizen
Article source: Ottawa Citizen