Emerging industries are new industries in the early stages of development. Since emerging industries can propose new ways to grow and sustain competitiveness, they are attractive for existing companies that have been established in other industries. The choice of entering an emerging industry is an important strategic decision that could have long-lasting effects for the business..

The state of the current cannabis industry has a large economic impact on the success of companies and regions, and it is therefore important to understand how to develop and set up strategically for long term success and compliance.

1. Get accustomed to scarcity

The growing, long term imbalance of supply and demand threatens business performance across the board. Firms unable to insulate themselves against the threat of scarcity will face significant challenges with their financial performance, growth and long term competitive advantage. Securing long term supply cost efficiently and sustainably is imperative.

2. Keep up-to-date on technology

Procurement can significantly influence the success of a company. These days it operates in a dynamic, complex environment and in order to operate efficiently and effectively it has to create appropriate structures and make use of suitable instruments. Information technology plays an important role in the success of a company.

3. Develop new managerial and leadership competencies

To leverage the opportunities of this industry, leaders need competence in cross functional leadership; managing transformation and risk. At the individual level, this will require managers to be more communicative and empathetic, as well as adept at networking in order to build and lead teams of increasing diversity. Stick to your values and those given to you by the company. The legal codes in this market can be complex. Sometimes complying with the rule's means we choose to lose opportunities, but when the company behaves responsible, the behavior of the workers is elevated.

4. Seek a collaborative solution

Businesses increasingly branching out into unfamiliar territories are finding themselves more and more dependent on partnerships both within and outside their organizations to help them adapt. A more collaborative solution is also essential to bridging the talent gap, but in order to entice them to your company and keep them engaged, you will need to convince them that they’ll learn something new every day. Widening the information funnel at the lower and middle management levels can help accomplish this.

5. Let go of certainties

As the cannabis market rises to prominence, there will be growing pains and fluctuations in growth. Market supremacy over the long-term will belong to companies that are willing to ride out the dips. In addition to fortitude, companies will need flexibility and be adaptable. Especially to local circumstances when compliance laws are changing.

So what is the role of procurement within a cannabis organization? The procurement function has evolved from a largely administrative function to a strategic role within the organization. Today, procurement teams face the unique challenge of a business environment that is dealing with shrinking supplies of commodities, but rising concerns for sustainability; that strives to control costs, but must balance regulatory and ethical considerations that could have a direct impact on the corporate brand. Cannabis leaders need to stop thinking about procurement as the end point of a process, and start looking at procurement as an entry to spark new ideas, attract new partners, and generate new resources.

Hello and welcome back. If you've been reading our blog you know we recently spoke with Ian Caine Wilson about his experience in the cannabis industry, his fight against melanoma, and his thoughts on protective equipment. We continue today with that theme of protection with some information on light safety and a quick conversation with the founders of of Flying Dutchman Cannabis about how his facility in an industry leader in employee safety.

First we need to talk about light. A common misconception with regard to light safety is that if you're protected from ultra-violet (UV) radiation, you're fully protected against the light's damaging effects to your body. Again, this is a misconception. The fact is that damage and injury can occur from wavelengths outside of the UV spectrum, namely the visible spectrum, and infrared radiation (IR). Protection from harmful light is paramount in the cannabis industry as skin cancer continues to be diagnosed at a higher rate than all other types of cancer combined. While we have yet to see the full effects of grow lights on the bodies of cannabis growers, we know that there's a risk to exposure. That said, professional grow owners and their employees need to be informed and protected from their grow lights. But how? One solution is making sure you are using high quality skin protection, which Flying Dutchman knows all about and they were good enough to let us in on how they protect their employees from the damaging effects of all of those lights.

Learn more about the effects of the various wavelength of light and the hazard they present indoor, outdoor, and greenhouse growers here with this handy infographic.

Thank you for taking the time to speak with us. Can you tell us a bit about your background and how did got involved with Cannabis?

Our background is in Business Development, Engineering and logistics. We got involved with cannabis about seven years in our home country, The Netherlands, where we started off as hobby growers.

Why is protection against light so important for the cannabis grower?

It’s our working place, we are their almost every day for hours, and we take our health serious.

Why do you think so many people don’t think about protecting themselves from their grow lights?

Awareness as well as being focused on your own end results as a grower, which is a perfect flower.

You use RayWear products, what made you start using them?

We got in touch with Daniel about a year ago and we liked his goal to make growing more safe as well as the high quality product he showed us.

Melanoma is a real consideration for growers no matter what kind of light they use, do you think we’ll see more of a premium put on skin protection as more people begin growing cannabis?

That might be, depending on personal preferences. For us it has a multi function; it is clean, safe and a professional company appearance as we can brand it with our own company logo. I would recommend RayWear to not to just focus on safety, but on these matters as well.

Do you and your employees feel safer when you’re protected with RayWear products?

Yes we do, although we do not see or feel direct results of course, but it's best to be proactive with regard to safety and that's what RayWear allows us to be.

Do your employees value your focus on safety?

Yes. Who doesn’t value a focus on safety right? Our employees definitely appreciate ours and the fact that we have them wear protective gear. And the great thing is doesn't just protect from harmful light, but the fabric is also anti-bacterial so it helps protect our cannabis too.

Ha! Yes! I think most of us do value a focus on safety. Why should growers be concerned with safety at all? Do you consider your use of RayWear products part of your company’s safety culture?

Yes I do, and a grower should be concerned as they are under these lights for multiple hours a day, often for 5 to 6 days a week. There's definitely a danger to this kind of exposure if you're not protected.

If someone asked you if they should consider RayWear for themselves or their employees, what would you tell them?

Definitely a recommendation. It is a small, one-time investment, but it’s very high-end and sustainable product. On top of that, great customer service.

Growers Network would like to thank Flying Dutchman Cannabis for taking the time to answer our questions about safety in their operation. What do you think growers? Are you implementing protection in your operation? Do you need to? If the answer is yes, you can visit RayWear here and checkout all protective apparel and accessories they have to offer.

About Moleaer

Can you give our readers a little background on your company?

Moleaer (Latin for tiny air) develops industrial-scale gas injection systems that produce high concentrations of nanobubbles to alter the properties and functionality of water. Our systems are utilized in a variety of applications to enhance a wide range of processes, enabling a radical change in the economics of horticulture, separating metals, treating wastewaters and recovering oil.

What kind of new projects does Moleaer have going on? Anything you can talk about?

Moleaer is looking towards a very busy 2019. Since December, a number of new systems have been installed and we are starting to get cultivation data back from those projects and it is all very positive. We are transitioning very quickly from a handful of early adopters to being standardized into some of the largest facilities in the industry being built this year. It is incredibly exciting for the company and our technology to be receiving this high level of attention.

Moleaer in the cannabis space

What is something important that you’ve found most cannabis growers don’t consider with regard to their grow?

Generally speaking, aeration and dissolved oxygen in water is not very well understood. Unfortunately, there has not been a lot of in-depth research around the relationship of root zone oxygen and plant growth. Growers definitely understand the extremes – i.e. no oxygen is bad, but there is not a good understanding as to how plants respond to 7ppm of dissolved oxygen in the irrigation water compared to 20ppm. Some of this has to do with the limitations of conventional aeration equipment, while other issues are related to water management practices and irrigation methods.

What we continue to demonstrate to growers is that there is a direct correlation between the growing climate, light intensity and oxygen demand. Warmer temperatures and high DLI’s drive up the oxygen demand of the plant. If you don’t increase the level of oxygen in the substrate, then you will constrain nutrient absorption and limit growth.

Beyond photosynthesis, can you explain the overlooked importance of oxygen for plant growth.

Oxygen is vital to the central energy providing pathway of plant cells and it heavily influences plant metabolic rates and energy production. Elevating oxygen in the root zone, increases adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and enzyme production, facilitating better nutrient transport into the plant and to the shoots.

Oxygen also helps maintain the permeability of cell membranes, helping to keep them turgid and making plants more resilient to environmental stress.

Equally important to oxygen’s role in nutrient absorption, increasing oxygen levels in the root zone activates beneficial bacteria that helps to suppress pathogens like Pythium from proliferating. Additionally, oxygen enriched irrigation water prevents root asphyxiation due to lack of oxygen in the media or substrate.

Is there any evidence to show that oxygen nanobubbles improve plant growth?

Definitely, the easiest short-term thing you can measure is nutrient absorption. Plants grown in substrates receiving higher levels of oxygen in the irrigation water, absorb nutrients more efficiently. Monitoring EC levels going into the substrate and leaching out confirms the utilization rates. We see this translate into shorter internode spacing and consequently better bud density and yield per plant.

Please tell our readers about the technology/equipment necessary to make sure DO levels are sustained? Is it a complicated process?

Typically, our systems are installed on the irrigation day tanks, but they can also be installed on smaller nutrient mixing tanks. Fresh water is recirculated through our nanobubble generators where it is injected with oxygen nanobubbles and pumped back into the storage tank. Once the target dissolved oxygen level is reached, the nanobubble generator will turn off and the irrigation water will be fed to either the nutrient mixing tanks or inline fertigation system. When working in the super-saturation levels, the one provision everyone needs to take into account is that you do not want to air diffusers or other aspirators after super saturating the water. Doing so, will reduce the DO levels. We aim to deliver between 20 and 25ppm to the end of the emitters.

What has been the impact on Moleaer as cannabis becomes more and more accepted worldwide?

We see the rapid growth of legal cannabis cultivation as an important driver for new technology adoption in horticulture. It continues to help develop our own technology and product line for not only cannabis cultivation but all other horticulture crops.

Do you think more growers will realize the advantage of sustaining DO levels in their water?

Absolutely, the value of our technology seems to present itself pretty early to the grower. While super-saturating irrigation water with oxygen nanobubbles may have the potential to increase yields and cannabinoid content, we feel that one of the most appealing aspects of what our system does is give growers a little more room for error. Every grower makes mistakes along the way, oxygen enrichment helps reduce the impact of those errors. That insurance is proving to be valuable to growers.

Does Moleaer have any exciting plans for the future?

Application expertise is big part of our development and is one of the things that I believe sets us apart from other equipment manufacturers. We are constantly learning and adapting to what we learn in the field. That allows us to tailor our technology to meet the needs of growers. That being said, we love forging new paths. We are currently exploring different gas combinations to further enhance plant growth – this work will be something exiting to present in the future.