Organic Cannabis Will Create Big Opportunities for Cultivators in the Near Future

Today, the vast majority of commercial cultivation in the United States, including licensed cannabis cultivation, is not certified organic by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which regulates the country’s organic program. In fact, there is actually no recognized organic cannabis in the U.S. right now because the USDA won’t certify licensed cannabis cultivators as long as cannabis is illegal at the federal level.

In fact, some growers have tried to follow organic practices only to be told by state cannabis regulators that they had to stop. However, we’re on the brink of very big changes that could open opportunities to commercial cannabis growers who are passionate about organic growing.

In October 2022, President Biden activated an “administrative rescheduling” process for cannabis, and the Food & Drug Administration and Drug Enforcement Agency are already working on the effort, calling it a very high priority. Depending on the outcome of the process, cannabis could be re-scheduled under a different category (there are six scheduling categories), or it could be de-scheduled entirely.

Bottom-line, re-scheduling could remove the barriers that have prevented organic cannabis cultivation certification by the USDA. As a result, a large number of licensed cannabis growers may transition either partially or fully to organic growing in the near future for multiple reasons.

Benefits to Transitioning to Organic Cannabis Cultivation

There is already demand for organic cannabis if trends related to the growing demand for clean weed and demand for organic products in other agricultural markets are any indication of what’s to come after re-scheduling or de-scheduling occurs. In addition, offering organic cannabis provides a powerful differentiator in a marketplace that will continue to grow and become more competitive in the future.

Third, organic cannabis can and will fetch a premium price, and with price competition increasing and cannabis prices falling, being able to sell cannabis at a premium price could be a big win for many cultivators. Finally, consumers expect companies, particularly cannabis businesses, to be environmentally-conscious, which means many consumers expect cannabis growers to follow organic, sustainable farming practices.

Think of it this way. As of June 2022, there were 23,416 active cannabis cultivators in the United States, and more than 90% of these licenses represent operations in just five states. In other words, competition is already fierce in some parts of the country, and it will get more difficult for growers to remain profitable and carve a place in the markets of the future. Furthermore, states with few licensed growers today will add more in the future.

Now is the time to develop a plan to succeed in the future when re-scheduling or de-scheduling happens and/or when federal prohibition finally ends.

How to Transition to Organic Cannabis Cultivation

At bio365, we’re strong advocates for organic agriculture and environmental sustainability – values that are fundamental to our founders and mission. That’s why we developed our patented clean living soil grow media. Our entire product line is organic and developed for controlled environment agriculture. We only use organic nutrients in our products along with our own wide spectrum biology.

With that said, the real world of agriculture is still far from organic. The vast majority of cannabis cultivators in the United States today are not growing organically – at least not 100% organically. Yes, we do believe that organic is best, but we understand that different growers have different beliefs and processes. That’s why all bio365 grow media can be used in cultivation facilities that do not adhere 100% to organic processes. For example, you can add synthetic fertilizer without killing the beneficial biology in bio365 grow media.

It’s important to understand that you don’t have to transition everything at the same time. This applies both to the physical space you designate for organic growing in your facility as well as the products you use. For example, you can use an organic substrate that’s biologically active, like bio365 grow media, along with a synthetic fertilizer. You’ll still get better results. Yes, your results would be even better if the entire process and all inputs were organic, but you can start positioning your facility now so you can enter the organic market later.

If you’re thinking of adding more organic products and processes to your controlled environment grow operations, a good place to start is your grow media. While bio365 grow media is organic, which makes for an easier transition to organic agriculture, many popular brands of grow media are not organic.

For example, Grodan’s Rockwool is not classified as organic because it’s made through a synthetic chemical process. OMRI, a third-party nonprofit organization that is accredited to ISO 17065 standards by the USDA Quality Assessment Division, says in its OMRI Generic Materials List, “Rockwool is synthetic and thus prohibited for use in organic agriculture.”

If you want to transition to organic growing and you use Rockwool or another grow media that is not organic, then you won’t be able to have your crops certified as organic. You’ll miss the opportunity to get into the organic cannabis market entirely. 

Your Next Steps for Organic Cannabis Cultivation

Within the next year, there could be a significant increase in demand for organic cannabis. Cultivators should start thinking about shifting all or some of their operations to organic to seize a portion of that market share early.

Start by switching to bio365’s organic grow media and let your team provide you with the technology, resources, and help you need to make the transition successfully. Contact us to get started before your competitors beat you to it!