David Risley, head grower at Euflora in Colorado, explains the wet wall discoveries he’s made after implementing one into the company’s first cannabis cultivation structure.

As a horticulturist with a career history in ornamental plant production, as well as cannabis, David Risley has acquired greenhouse-growing experience with trial and error over the years. Now, as head grower for Euflora in Denver, Colo.—he’s learned much he’d like to share on the topic of evaporative cooling, which is an efficient way to deliver lower temperatures to your cannabis crop when installed and utilized correctly.

Currently, Risley has a wet wall system installed in a 7,200-square-foot greenhouse, but will be building out his grow space much differently in the company’s 17,000 square feet of additions that are currently in the works. Here are his tips on how to make your evaporative cooling system work best for you:

“Most of the design process of Euflora’s first greenhouse was completed by an architect with no previous experience designing a greenhouse,” Risley says. “The subpar design, combined with an oversimplification of the dynamic nature of a CEA (controlled environment agriculture) structure, led to some costly and completely avoidable blunders, of which I now spend a significant amount of time and energy combating.”

“The biggest mistake by far was locating our mechanical room/head house against the end wall of our veg bay in place of cooling pads. Imagine a 40 x 20-foot shaped L,” he adds. “We now have 10 feet of pad in a 30-feet-wide house. In front of the pad is say, 70 degrees (too cold); in front of the mechanical room is much warmer, 80-plus degrees. And in front of the ‘office’ (turned clone room) is well over 90 degrees and has zero air flow, mostly dead space in summer.”

“Inquire with greenhouse manufacturer about taking tours of already completed projects. Learn what they did and why, then improve and adjust for your project,” Risley says.

“Adjust flow to distribution pipe accordingly, and the ensure pump is sized properly,” Risley says. “The goal is to use the least amount of water while maintaining a uniformly wet pad surface; areas where water is running down have reduced rates of evaporation.”

“I like to wash pads down with hose end sprayer and soft brush to remove debris and excess salt,” he adds. “I wouldn’t recommend a pressure washer, as it could damage the pads or strip anti-rot salts off. After rinsing, I clean the pump filter, drain and clean up reservoir, then fill it again with fresh water. I do this monthly in veg. Flower has an adequate bleed-off so draining here is only required seasonally. I recommend contacting Schaefer, and research for more tips relevant to a particular greenhouse for quantity and frequency of bleed-off.” Also, Risley warns not to pump air from one side of the structure. “If possible, locate the pump and reservoir in the center of the area to be cooled, which will ensure even flow through distribution pipe and a uniformly wet pad surface. If your pads have dry spots, do not attempt to modify distribution pipe by enlarging holes. This was a particularly dumb idea I had at one point,” he says.

Risley also recommends checking the top and bottom of evap frame to ensure air tight (within reason) after installation.

“It didn't take long to figure out that our roof vent was poorly sealed. Turning on our veg bays’ second exhaust fan actually increased temps! With an already higher static pressure from the smaller pad, fan No. 2 sucked down extremely hot air from the gable and outside air from unsealed around doors, outside electrical, partition between bays, etc.,” Risley says. “This is all equates to less air through the pads. Install gaskets around the roof vent, ensure vent motors are closed tight, use weather stripping and door sweep the threshold at base of door to seal it. Silicone and foil tape can be used to seal any other gaps and cracks. Although, it is still mostly unbearable on hot days.” Also, beware of leaks at aluminum joints. “I highly recommend a PVC system,” Risley says, adding that it’s also important to, “Ensure proper function of evap prior to bringing in plants. Check for leaks and a tight fit between components. Pads have a bit of a break-in period so you likely won't expect the full cooling effect for weeks/months.”

“The intensity of the sun in Colorado and relatively high light transmission of twin wall poly is more than our veg can handle. Installing diffused light poly will reduce light transmission and eliminate hot spots. This will act like shade paint but without the extra fun and mess of applying shade paint. When it’s hot and the sun is blazing, tender transplants will thank you,” Risley says.

“Invest in quality HAF (horizontal air flow) fans/circulation fans. In dead zones, or areas where it gets hot, utilize portable evap coolers. They’re efficient, and move a lot of air. So they are very helpful, even if ran with a dry pad,” he says.

“Installing screening 5x the pad area is ideal to minimize the increase in static pressure,” Risley says. Light baffles (for a light deprivation system) are installed behind cooling pads and exhaust fans to exclude light from entering, and will also reduce flow through pads. “Work with your greenhouse manufacturer, or distributor to appropriately size your exhaust fans to accommodate insect screen/light baffles,” he adds.

“Just don’t!” Risley warns.

“Build a good relationship with your fire department and regulatory agencies. Request pre-inspection and take advantage of resources to ensure your building and accessory parts are up to code,” Risley says, adding that Euflora recently received a code violation in May, during their peak production period, for having a shade hung at the top of the veg bay. The negative effects from the increase in temps were immediate, and production ground to a halt. “At the beginning of June, we applied shade paint and have moved more plants in the last two weeks than in the previous month,” he adds.

Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission cited concerns about MaryMed LLC's former parent company Vireo Health.

Maryland medical marijuana regulators took steps Monday to deny a license to one of the 15 companies picked to grow the drug, saying there was a "reasonable likelihood" the firm would not properly safeguard the medicine.

In voting to tell MaryMed LLC that it would not receive a final license, the Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission cited concerns about MaryMed LLC's former parent company Vireo Health, which operates medical marijuana businesses in two other states. The commission also faulted MaryMed for not cooperating with Maryland investigators.

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The concerns stem from the February indictment of two former Vireo executives, who face felony charges in Minnesota for allegedly smuggling a half-million dollars worth of cannabis oil across state lines in December 2015.

Maryland regulators said MaryMed mentioned those two executives by name in its November 2015 application to grow the drug here, and the firm "emphasized that its operations in Minnesota and New York, and the experience gained thereby, demonstrated its ability to successfully operate medical cannabis operations in Maryland."

MYM Nutraceuticals announced the project was going to take place in the municipality of Weedon, Quebec.

MYM Nutraceuticals Inc. announced that it has signed an exclusive deal with the Municipality of Weedon, Québec to build a 1.5 million-square-foot cannabis production facility consisting of fifteen 100,000-square-foot greenhouses. Once the entire project is completed and licensed, it would be one of the largest growing operations in the world, with the potential to produce over 150,000 kilograms of cannabis per year or $750,000,000 annually.

This is a first-of-its-kind partnership where a municipality has partnered with a cannabis company to build a major production facility. The agreement is unique as Weedon will purchase the 329 acres of land for MYM to build the project on.

The Weedon agreement was signed by a subsidiary of MYM, CannaCanada Inc., a Montréal-based cannabis company of which MYM has purchased 75%. By the completion of the project, MYM will own 90% of CannaCanada Inc. CannaCanada's strong ties with Weedon city officials allowed MYM to also obtain full exclusivity regarding the future development of any cannabis or hemp-growing facilities within the municipality.

The municipality of Weedon, which is approximately two hours east of Montréal, is actively involved in the project. Weedon has already identified the land on which the facility will be built and has signed an option to purchase it. The subject to certain requirements, Weedon will exercise that option and then donate the land to the project.  

MYM anticipates that the project will advance quickly as Weedon's planning department has already approved the preliminary construction designs for the initial portion of the facility. The detailed plans for the first 100,000-sq-ft greenhouse and a 20,000-sq-ft warehouse are now being drawn up by the MYM's architects, Latimer Hu. MYM has engaged Factotum Consultants, who have successfully obtained two Licensed Producer licenses for other clients to manage the ACMPR application process and expects to submit its application to Health Canada this Friday.  

"This is an important and significant deal for MYM and its shareholders," said Rob Gietl, MYM's CEO. "The sheer scope and exclusivity of this project will bring MYM global attention and propel the company into its next stage of growth. We have all of the architects, engineers, and consultants in place, and with the full support of the municipality of Weedon, we are moving ahead at an accelerated pace."

MYM has committed to manage and fund the project and will pay $75,000 and issue 250,000 common shares to CannaCanada or its principles, with a further 250,000 shares six months later. When the project's ACMPR application reaches pre-license inspection stage, MYM will issue CannaCanada or its principles an additional 500,000 shares. When the application is approved by Health Canada and a license is granted, MYM will issue a further 1,000,000 shares, and another 1,000,000 shares one year later. In exchange for these milestones, MYM's ownership of the project will grow from 75% initially, to 85% when the license is granted, then to 90% one year later. MYM will also pay a 10% finder's fee, in common shares, to the person who brought the deal to management's attention.  

Yann Lafleur, the President of CannaCanada Inc. commented, "CannaCanada's bond with the municipality of Weedon, Quebec will create sustainability that will reflect on the entire industry of cannabis leading to incredible future projects involving many other aspects of the industry. MYM Nutraceuticals will supply us with the necessary resources and tools in order to establish this deed and transmit this heritage. Creating an alliance with MYM Nutraceuticals enables our enterprise to expand into the U.S. and European territories in order to spread this wealth of information and experience for generations to come. MYM Nutraceuticals and their entire team will be a divine asset to establishing a patrimony of cannabis in this country. Our joined network of leading cannabis experts will pave the way to the continuity of results, remaining leaders in this new industry."

The commission vote was 12-1 in favor of the project.

The Martha’s Vineyard Commission has approved what may become the Island’s first facility for growing, testing and packaging medical marijuana.

Geoff Rose, owner of Patient Centric of Martha’s Vineyard, plans to share space in a 7,200-square-foot building on Dr. Fisher Road in West Tisbury. The building itself, planned by Big Sky Tents owner Jim Eddy, was approved by the commission in 2010 but has yet to be built.

During a public review this spring, residents raised concerns about increased traffic on Dr. Fisher Road, and the site’s proximity to the West Tisbury School 2,400 feet to the south. But the final plans on Thursday passed with little debate.

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“It seems to me on balance that the project is a benefit,” commissioner Joan Malkin said during a discussion of pros and cons on the project on Thursday night.

The research is focused on Controlled Environment Production of Medicinal Cannabis and is being conducted at the Controlled Environment Systems Research Facility (CESRF).

Ottawa, ON – ABcann Global Corporation (TSX-V:ABCN) ("ABcann" or the "Company") announced that it has amended and extended the research contract currently in place between its Canadian operating subsidiary, ABcann Medicinals Inc., and the University of Guelph, of Guelph, Ontario.

The agreement, which dates back to Jan. 1, 2015, has been extended to Dec. 31, 2018, with the option to extend if mutually agreed upon. The research is focused on Controlled Environment Production of Medicinal Cannabis and is being conducted at the Controlled Environment Systems Research Facility (CESRF) under the direction of Dr. Michael Dixon at the University of Guelph. A portion of the research is also being conducted within ABcann’s research lab in Napanee which has been dedicated solely to the University of Guelph studies.

The multi-year research program is focused on a number of projects designed to enhance the ABcann process in terms of control, yield, quality and flexibility. Included are projects related to organic nutrient delivery and uptake, propagation protocols, optimizing controlled growth under different lighting configurations, and irrigation management strategies.

The $1.4 million project “has already yielded results which have been incorporated into our growing systems,” says Ken Clement, founder and Executive Chairman of ABcann, “and we fully expect to see further results which will give us a significant advantage over our competition. We have benefited greatly from having the researchers and graduate students working with our team and we value our close working relationship with Dr. Dixon and his group.”

“ABcann has pursued a unique approach to controlled environment production of cannabis designed to standardize the production and quality of medical compounds,” says Dr. Mike Dixon, Director of the CESRF at Guelph. “Our research program in collaboration with ABcann represents a systematic and comprehensive approach to the development of the most sophisticated production technology in this industry sector.”

ABcann is also pleased to announce the exercise of 9,241,766 warrants for gross proceeds of $5,729,894. The warrants were originally issued in connection with private placements undertaken by ABcann Medicinals Inc. in 2014 and 2015. 

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