Florida has plenty of options when it comes to medicinal cannabis, but what are you really getting from all the different grow houses out there? It’s important to know where your medicine comes from, and while we can’t speak to the cultivation practices of others, we can speak to the distinct advantage VidaCann has over other Florida growers.
At VidaCann, we pride ourselves on the organic and sustainable SunGrown practices used to grow our medicinal cannabis. It’s no small task keeping a grow operation entirely indoors while still using natural sunlight, but the development of our ACE Conservatories does just that.
From the beginning, we considered all aspects of cannabis cultivation. Every step, from creating the structure to monitoring the humidity within it, was designed to improve the medicine we provide to our patients.
The ACE Conservatory Structure
The structure of our conservatories is important because it’s what allows us to control every environmental variable (like light, humidity, airflow, etc.), while still growing our plants in natural sunlight. It sounds complicated, but it’s actually quite simple — we build them with hard, translucent walls and ceilings. Our cannabis plants are fully enclosed, but because the walls and ceilings are clear, they can still receive the natural sunlight coming in. This is a major benefit our patients wouldn’t get from a typical indoor operation, as natural sunlight provides unique terpene and cannabinoid profiles, which enhances the flavor and effectiveness of our products.
Now, with five ACE Conservatories at 35,000 square feet each, it takes some serious tech to make sure our plants’ vitals are always level. To do so, we utilize a state-of-the-art system in each one that monitors temperature, humidity, light, watering, air movement, and plant food automatically, 24-hours a day. (Bonus — it uses half the electrical energy as other cultivation facilities!) If anything is off-balance, the system auto-corrects itself.
This last note is particularly important because Florida’s weather is hot, humid, and can change in the blink of an eye. To combat the unpredictability, we use the latest LED lighting system to supplement natural sunlight whenever rain or clouds roll in. Plus, our dehumidification system pulls 48 gallons of water from the air every hour. Both of these pieces not only deter any weather interruptions but also allow us to closely track and control the plants’ lighting schedules and the conservatory’s humidity levels, which are two variables that cannabis plants can be particularly picky about.
The Growing Ingredients
Another benefit of VidaCann is the water, soil, and pest control options we use. For water, we go right to the heart of the Florida aquifer, which provides a consistent and sustainable watering source for our plants. But for soil, we go around the world and import pure, virgin peat moss from North Arctic soil in Latvia. It sounds like a long way to go for some dirt, but trust us, it’s worth it. This peat moss freezes over in the Latvian winter before it’s harvested in the summer, rendering it pathogen-free. Plus, peat moss is exceptionally absorbent, which means it can keep more water than other soils, and it’s full of nutrients because it’s made up of decomposed organic material.
Most importantly, for pest control, we steer clear of harmful pesticides and instead opt for good ole, natural bugs. Good bugs, that is! We use several species of beneficial insects to eat pests like aphids, whiteflies, thrips, and mites. This keeps our crops strong and healthy and keeps our patients from consuming dangerous pesticides.
The Right People
None of the above matters without having the right people in place to manage it all. From quality control to chemists to lab techs, our team brings decades of experience and enthusiasm to the table.
Take Ashley Peebles, our Vice President of Cultivation, for example. He has a passion for plant breeding and over 15 years of experience growing cannabis in Colorado, Oregon, and California.
Looking to The Future
Currently, we have eight operational conservatories with 280,000 square feet of prime growing real estate. Each facility harvests an average of 750 plants per week, giving us a total weekly average of about 6,000 plants, but we’re quickly working to expand.
By the end of 2024, we’re on track to have 16 functioning ACE Conservatories. This will bring us to over 600,000 square feet of growing with weekly harvests averaging about 12,000 plants per week.
This substantial increase in yield is good news for our patients. We’re projected to more than double the number of dispensaries we have in Florida over the next two years, and we’ll be rolling out several new strains this year. (Get excited for Tropicana Haze!)
Experience The VidaCann Advantage For Yourself
Our ACE Conservatories were designed specifically with our patients in mind. We knew that in order to produce the best medicinal cannabis possible, we needed to have complete control over the plants’ growing environment, but we also knew natural sunlight was essential to happy plants. And after more than 70 years of growing flowering plants in Florida, happy plants are our specialty.
Stop by any one of our locations throughout Florida to taste, feel, smell, and experience our happy plants and the difference an all-natural approach to medicinal cannabis cultivation makes. Your body and mind will thank you.
