Although current legislation does not permit garden centres to supply seeds and seedlings, they can still play a significant role in the cannabis space.
“The federal regulatory model right now allows cannabis nurseries to sell plants and seeds into the provincial system,” says David Brown, StratCann Services Inc., B.C.
Currently, licensed cannabis nurseries can sell to other holders of a commercial cannabis licence, shares Dr.
“Even with the nursery license, there is no way to distribute live plants directly to the public,” states Hudson.
Some may have already established a rapport with their local garden centre, but find it tough to initiate a conversation about the stigma-infused crop.
“It’s really important to know your audience,” says Hanna Shanes, chief compliance officer and vice-president of operations at 365 Cannabis in Denver, Colo.
Through his talks, he has discovered that there is a large segment of cannabis home growers who would benefit from the support of their local garden centre.
The cannabis industry presents an opportunity to carry an extensive range of products, several of which cross over with other horticulture segments, particularly indoor and organic gardening.
Be it flowers, vegetables or cannabis, signage and product descriptions can be used to highlight the different types of plants supported by these resources.
He suggests stocking growing media of different grades ranging from fine, medium to course, so customers are able to select for their needs at different growing stages and for different pot sizes and shapes.
“Growing media have three main functions: one is to hold the plant physically, one is to supply water and nutrients, and the other is oxygen,” says Zheng.
To support these plants from seed to harvest, Zheng recommends using different sizes of pots at different growing stages.
Of course, if you grow plants in ground then you do not need pots, however, trellises may be necessary for supporting the plant.” He also recommends carrying netting, professional-grade shears for cuttings, solutions to clean the oil-intensive resins, and mason jars for curing the harvested plants.
“Our research demonstrated that the more light the better for cannabis yields.
For these individuals, a smaller jar will be helpful as well, and even beeswax and coconut oil,” says Zheng.
“I think a real challenge if I were a local store owner, is to know at what point to get that random item a customer is requesting,” says Betsy Samuelson, Humboldt Seed Company at Nymera in Westwold, B.C.
It’s about creating a space that supports this expanding community of home growers.
Canadian agriculture is a key part of our economy, trade, and food supply.