Business
Indoor marijuana cultivators share pre-harvest tips for lighting, nutrients, temperature and irrigation
Such preparation applies to indoor, greenhouse and outdoor grows, each of which is subject to unique challenges.
While indoor cultivation is ostensibly the most controlled environment, problems in indoor grows can quickly spin out of control if cultivators don’t plan meticulously and watch their crops vigilantly to keep plants on schedule.
“For all of our crops, we have targets for everything that needs to happen in their day-to-day life span. All of our schedules work on a harvest schedule,” said Nic Robertson, vice president of operations in Massachusetts for multistate operator 4Front Ventures, which is headquartered in Phoenix.
“If I want to produce 300 pounds of Blue Dream on the menu on this date, I need to have it tested by this date, which means I need to harvest it by this date, transplant it by this date and so on and so forth.”
There is some flexibility to tweak those schedules if a crop needs to finish earlier or later than expected to get the best possible flower.
But changes to harvest schedules can’t be made without considering the possible impacts on cannabis plants.
“No single decision that we make is isolated from all the rest of the scheduling,” Robertson said.
Ryan Cook, executive vice president of operations at Florida-based Jushi Holdings, another multistate operator, agrees that planning and preparation make for a successful harvest day.
“A lot of work is done on the front end so that, by the time we get to harvest, there’s less subjective decision-making at the back end,” Cook explained.
“We’ve got full-on harvest prediction planners where we can see when the clones we took this week are going to be harvested.”
While cultivators who plan their indoor harvests weeks in advance have their own ways of preparing, there are several commonalities they use to ensure a successful harvest. These include adjustments to:
- Lighting.
- Temperature and humidity.
- Nutrients.
- Watering and flushing.
- Defoliation.
The changes often depend on specifics of the cultivation environment – size of growing room and plant canopy, strains being grown, type of HVAC system and lights being used – and growers will have to figure out what pre-harvest tactics work best in their respective environments.
Lighting
Indoor cannabis growers often make pre-harvest adjustments to light intensity and spectrum.
During the first week of the flowering phase, Jushi starts the LED light intensity at 700 micromoles (micromoles are a unit used to measure brightness).
By the time the plants hit week three of flowering, cultivation staffers have moved the lights roughly 10 to 12 inches closer to the canopy, increasing the micromoles to anywhere from 1,000 to 1,400, according to Josh Malman, Jushi’s vice president of cultivation.
They maintain that level of light intensity until the final week of flowering, when light intensity is returned to 700 micromoles.
“That helps reduce the temperature on the canopy a little bit and helps to maintain those terpenes from volatizing off near the end of the cycle,” Malman said.
Some cultivators also like to expose their plants to extra red light.
By introducing a few minutes of red-spectrum light per day, growers can go from the typical flower-phase light cycle of 12 hours for both light and darkness to a cycle of 13 or so hours of light and 11 hours of darkness.
The additional light, some growers say, increases yields and promotes a richer cannabinoid and terpene profile.
Heat and humidity
Temperature and humidity levels also can be lowered as harvest approaches, with the aim of beginning to dry out the plants.
Less moisture preserves terpenes and protects against microbial contamination, which is more common late in the flowering phase, when plants are big and near full maturity.
Lowering temperatures inside a grow room toward the end of the flowering phase can benefit flower quality because it mimics the cooler temperatures of fall.
“It helps those buds tighten up a little bit. They start to notice it’s getting cold, so they start to tighten up. They get a little bit harder, they get a little denser – and that’s obviously what we’re looking for in our final product,” Robertson said.
He warned, however, that “when you get too cold in a room, the dew point is going to promote a certain type of moisture in the air that promotes mold and pathogenic growth.”
Toward the end of the flowering phase and shortly before harvest, Robertson said he likes to maintain temperatures around 72 degrees; he also dials humidity back to 40%-45%.
Marco Malatrasi, director of production at Fluent Cannabis, which operates in Florida, Pennsylvania and Texas, also lowers his temperatures from the high 70s during the first several weeks of the flowering phase to the low 70s for the last few weeks of flowering.
“Most varieties will show a sensitivity to cold, and they’ll produce more anthocyanins,” Malatrasi said, referring to the purple and red pigments that appear on some cannabis strains.
Jushi, which maintains a temperature range of 78-82 degrees during the first several weeks of flowering, drops the temperature to 68-70 degrees near the end of the cycle, late in week seven or week eight.
“Lower temperature/lower humidity are keeping microbials low,” Malman said, “And we’re not volatizing terpenes with high temperatures near the end.”
Lowering humidity near the end of the flowering phase also helps reduce moisture in the flower as harvest nears, said Frank Golfieri, the Massachusetts-based director of cultivation for multistate cannabis operator Insa.
Golfieri likes to gradually reduce temperatures to about 60 degrees and 50% humidity by harvest.
Depending on the strain, he could start reducing temperature and humidity a few days or a couple of weeks before harvest.
Nutrients
Another important change that cultivators make as harvest nears is their use of nutrients.
“Harvest is an important time to cut back on certain nutritional inputs and maybe increase others,” Robertson said. “Hands down, the most important nutritional input that will direct how the plant is growing at any stage is going to be nitrogen.
“If we don’t start to lower our nitrogen, that plant is going to hormonally think at some point that it still wants to produce some sort of vegetative growth, meaning it will expand in size or wants to put more work into its family’s production.”
Growers at 4Front typically start reducing nitrogen inputs about halfway through the flowering cycle “in anticipation of harvest, to make sure that the plant is focusing its energy in all the right places,” such as bud, resin and cannabinoid production, Robertson said.
“Usually at that stage is where we start to skew the overall balance of nutrients that are being delivered to the plant. Where we start to drop nitrogen is where we start to increase phosphorus and potassium. Because there are three major nutrients: the N, P and the K. We start to drop the N, we start to increase the P and the K.”
Cook from Jushi cautioned, “If you reduce nitrogen too early, you may cause some early senescence (deterioration) of leaves, which potentially causes microbial or bacterial fungal risks.”
Watering and flushing
Another important part of pre-harvest prep is watering and, to an even greater extent, flushing the plant of nutrients. Flushing usually takes place in the last week or final days before harvest, the idea being that nutrients can negatively affect cannabis taste and how the flower burns.
“I think our recipe, like a lot of others, does have a natural taper in nitrogen as you make your way through the crop cycle, and it never really goes away until we start that hard flush, which is generally just a pH’d RO (reverse osmosis) water or pH’d city water that’s going into the crop,” Malman said.
But Malman and other growers caution against reducing or eliminating nitrogen too early.
“If you stop giving it food, it starves. It starves quickly, and you can see that plant start to decline. When that plant starts to decline, you get natural senescence for the flowers and the leaves. You start to get risks for detritus. So, we drive this hard (with nutrients) till close to the end,” he said.
“And the last three to five days, (we) give it a rest, because you’re probably not getting much growth out of it anyway at that point. But if you pull back two weeks early, you won’t get your crop to the finish line in a healthy manner. So, we really keep that going through most of the crop.”
As harvest nears – and especially as growers get to flushing time – it’s important to monitor a plant’s moisture content, Malman said.
As plants get older, they don’t drink at the same pace and don’t need the same amounts of water to propel their buds to grow.
But knowing the moisture content is critical. So, Jushi has sensors installed in rockwool and coco cubes, and the sensors are connected to the grow’s fertigation systems.
In less sophisticated facilities, Jushi cultivation workers use handheld moisture meters to determine how much to reduce water before harvest.
“It’s also important not to overwater in the final weeks, which can be difficult if you’re also trying to do flushing. The key is to find a balance,” Golfieri said.
“You’re trying to be careful to not flush the plant too heavily, because every time you do that, you’re stressing the plant because you’re putting a lot more moisture into the room that you have to pull out, which could cause issues. So, even toward the end, I’m almost cutting back, making sure it’s nice and even.”
Golfieri also noted that if plants are fed correctly throughout their life spans, “You won’t need to do much heavy flushing, which can be bad, because it involves using too much water, which can cause other problems when there is too much moisture in the roots.”
He added: “We don’t want to flush too hard, where it takes away a lot of the smell and even the color of a flower. We try to do it at a point where it’s just right.”
Source: https://mjbizdaily.com/marijuana-cultivators-share-pre-harvest-tips/
Airports across India witnessed scenes of distress and confusion as thousands of passengers were stranded due to IndiGo’s massive flight disruptions. Families with medical emergencies, funerals, and personal crises were left helpless as the airline cancelled hundreds of flights without adequate communication or support.
Passengers described desperate situations — a mother pleading for sanitary pads for her daughter, a woman unable to transport her husband’s coffin, and others stranded while trying to reach family funerals or hospitals. “It was like a lockdown at the airport,” one passenger said, describing the panic that unfolded as IndiGo’s mismanagement crippled operations nationwide.
Root Cause: IndiGo’s Market Monopoly
The turmoil, industry experts argue, stems from IndiGo’s monopolistic control over India’s domestic aviation market. The airline operates nearly 2,100 flights daily and holds around 60% market share — meaning every second plane flying within India belongs to IndiGo.
This dominance has given the company unparalleled influence. When IndiGo falters, the entire aviation system suffers. Passengers are left with few alternatives, as other airlines lack capacity to absorb stranded travellers. The result: skyrocketing ticket prices, chaos at terminals, and total dependence on a single private operator.
Aviation pioneer Captain G.R. Gopinath, founder of Air Deccan, criticised the government’s inaction, noting that on some routes, IndiGo’s economy fares surged to ₹1 lakh. He compared the situation to a hostage crisis, writing that the airline “held the system ransom” and forced regulators to defer new safety rules meant to protect pilots and passengers.
Government Intervention and Regulatory Weakness
The crisis erupted after IndiGo failed to comply with the Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) — rules introduced by the DGCA in January 2024 requiring adequate rest for pilots. Despite having nearly two years to adapt, IndiGo blamed the rule for operational disruptions, citing a shortage of pilots.
Under mounting public pressure, the government stepped in, temporarily relaxing FDTL norms and capping airfare hikes. Officials claimed the move was to protect passengers, but analysts say it exposed the state’s vulnerability to corporate monopolies. “The government had no option but to yield,” said one aviation policy expert, pointing out that ignoring safety regulations for short-term relief could have long-term consequences.
The crisis also rekindled memories of the June 2025 Air India crash near London, which claimed over 240 lives. Experts warn that compromising pilot rest and safety standards to maintain flight schedules could risk another tragedy.
If Telecom Giants Fail: A National Paralysis
The article raises a troubling question — what if a similar crisis struck the telecom sector, where Jio and Airtel together control nearly 80% of subscribers and serve over 780 million users?
If both networks failed simultaneously, the repercussions would be catastrophic. Internet shutdowns would halt UPI transactions, online banking, OTP verifications, video calls, OTT streaming, and emergency communications. Critical services such as airports, hospitals, stock exchanges, and small businesses — many of which rely on WhatsApp and digital payments — would come to a standstill.
In essence, a telecom breakdown could paralyse India’s digital economy, exposing the nation’s dependence on a duopoly.
E-commerce Monopoly: Another Fragile Ecosystem
The same risk looms over the e-commerce sector, where Amazon and Flipkart dominate nearly 80% of the market. A disruption similar to IndiGo’s could cripple daily life — halting delivery of groceries, medicines, and essential goods, freezing refunds and customer support, and leaving small sellers without platforms to trade.
Local retailers, freed from competition, might exploit shortages by inflating prices. Such a scenario underscores the perils of market centralisation in sectors critical to everyday living.
A Wake-Up Call for Regulators
The IndiGo crisis, analysts say, is a warning shot for policymakers and regulators. A single company’s operational failure exposed systemic weaknesses in India’s infrastructure and consumer protection mechanisms.
As the aviation regulator DGCA investigates and IndiGo works to restore normalcy, the broader lesson remains clear: unchecked monopoly power in any essential service — whether air travel, telecom, or e-commerce — poses a direct threat to economic stability and citizen welfare.
Without stronger competition laws, redundancy frameworks, and regulatory oversight, India risks repeating this crisis across multiple sectors — each time with millions of citizens paying the price.
Agriculture & Life Sciences
Canada’s Cannabis Industry Urges Government to Support Growing Export Market
BuzzBuzz Cannabis Business News — 24 November 2025
Canada’s cannabis sector is calling on federal and provincial governments to recognize its fast-growing export potential and extend the same support other regulated industries receive. Industry leaders warn that Canada is losing its early global advantage due to slow regulatory processes, lack of trade promotion, and limited access to government-backed financing.
Canada’s medical-cannabis exporters now generate more than half a billion dollars annually and ship products to major markets including Germany, the UK, Australia, and Poland. Despite this, cannabis remains largely absent from Canada’s official trade and export strategies.
Industry Calls for Streamlined Export System
Paul McCarthy, President of the Cannabis Council of Canada, says the country has everything required to dominate the global medical cannabis trade—except government alignment.
“Our requests are simple,” McCarthy said. “Expedite Health Canada’s export-permit process, integrate cannabis into federal export programs like Global Affairs Canada trade missions and CanExport, and ensure provinces include cannabis in their export strategies.”
He stressed the need for mutual recognition agreements with importing countries to eliminate redundant testing and documentation. Access to Export Development Canada (EDC) and Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) services also remains off-limits to cannabis exporters, placing them at a steep disadvantage.
“This industry does not just need permission to operate,” McCarthy added. “It needs to be treated like every other legitimate contributor to Canada’s trade objectives.”
Competitors Are Moving Faster
McCarthy warns that while Canada pioneered medical cannabis standards, other countries are rapidly advancing with more flexible and export-friendly systems.
“Faster approvals, lower compliance costs, and active government-backed strategies are helping other nations catch up,” he said. “Canada’s regulatory friction is already costing us global market share.”
Export permits currently must be issued for each shipment—a process that can take weeks—and Canadian testing standards often differ from international requirements, forcing companies to repeat expensive compliance checks.
High Tide CEO: Canada Needs a National Export Strategy
Raj Grover, CEO of High Tide Inc., says Canada risks surrendering its leadership if policymakers remain inactive.
“Canada developed the world’s most advanced cannabis regulatory system and contributed $76.5 billion to GDP since legalization,” Grover said. “But without a National Cannabis Export Strategy, we will lose ground to Australia, Israel, Portugal, and other emerging competitors.”
He noted that Canada’s industry table created by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) has not met in more than a year—an opportunity wasted.
Grover urged the federal government to introduce domestic GMP certification and potency standards to streamline international market access. “Canadian producers must currently get GMP approval country by country. It’s duplicative and costly. Canada should be setting global benchmarks, not chasing them.”
Germany: A Key Market for Canadian Firms
High Tide recently expanded into Europe with its majority acquisition of Germany’s Remexian Pharma GmbH, giving the company a direct import and distribution channel in Europe’s largest medical-cannabis market.
“Our German strategy is already structured for success,” Grover said. “Through Remexian, we can supply premium medical cannabis at the lowest possible price, helping meet Germany’s quality and cost demands.”
Grover also warned that U.S. companies are already purchasing Canadian firms to stage their own international expansion—another sign that Canada’s leadership position is slipping.
Government Response Remains Limited
In response to industry concerns, a Global Affairs Canada spokesperson said the Trade Commissioner Service “continues to support exporters of cannabis for medical and scientific purposes that have obtained Health Canada permits.”
However, industry leaders argue that this support is minimal and does not include key tools such as trade missions, export credits, or bilateral agreements that other sectors routinely receive.
A Closing Window of Opportunity
With medical-cannabis exports already exceeding $500 million annually, industry executives say Canada must act quickly to preserve its competitive edge.
As McCarthy warns, without coordinated government support, Canada risks losing high-value pharmaceutical manufacturing, research investments, and thousands of skilled jobs.
And as Grover’s expansion into Germany demonstrates, the industry is moving forward—but whether Canada moves with it may determine if the country remains a global leader or becomes a pioneer that let others capitalize on its breakthroughs.
Business
A Tipping Point for Cannabis: President Trump Champions CBD & Cannabis Science on Truth Social
When the President of the United States shares a video about the life changing potential of hemp derived CBD on his personal social media platform, it is more than news, it is a cultural shift.
For decades our government lied to us about cannabis. It demonized the plant, waged war on its users, and filled prisons while allowing pharmaceutical companies to flood the nation with addictive and deadly drugs. For over a century we have been fighting uphill, not just for legalization, but for truth, for science, and for the right to heal ourselves naturally.
Now in 2025, the most powerful political figure on Earth is using his own voice and platform to talk about the endocannabinoid system and the science backed benefits of CBD. That is monumental. It is validation for everyone who has fought, been arrested, been silenced, and been dismissed for telling this truth. The President’s video post is already being described as a pivotal moment in cannabis history, and President Trump CBD Cannabis Science Truth Social is trending across platforms as advocates celebrate the breakthrough.
The Science Behind the Endocannabinoid System
The video begins by introducing something most people, including many doctors, still know little about, the endocannabinoid system. Discovered in the 1990s, the ECS is a network of receptors and signaling molecules that works as the body’s master regulator, coordinating communication between major systems like the nervous, immune, cardiovascular, and digestive systems.
The roots of this discovery go back much further. CBD was first isolated in 1940 by American chemist Roger Adams, but it was Dr. Raphael Mechoulam, an Israeli organic chemist, who fully elucidated the chemical structure of CBD and identified its stereochemistry in the 1960s. His pioneering work not only opened the door to modern cannabinoid science but also earned him the title “Godfather of Cannabis Research.” It was this foundation that led to the identification of the endocannabinoid system itself decades later, revealing how cannabinoids interact with our physiology on a fundamental level.
The ECS is now widely recognized as a vital part of human biology, with extensive research supported by the National Institutes of Health. When functioning properly, the ECS acts like the conductor of an orchestra, ensuring every section plays in harmony. As we age, the system weakens. That imbalance is linked to inflammation, chronic pain, cognitive decline, sleep problems, and many other conditions associated with aging.
Mainstream medicine often addresses these issues with pharmaceutical band aids, dangerous and addictive drugs that treat symptoms rather than root causes. Lifestyle changes such as diet and exercise help, but they only partially support the ECS and do so slowly over time.
Hemp Derived CBD: A Game Changer for Aging
Here is where the science gets exciting. As the video explains, the ECS can be restored much more quickly with hemp derived CBD. Strengthening this system naturally helps the body regain balance, reducing pain, improving sleep, lowering stress, slowing disease progression, and even extending healthy lifespan.
It is not theoretical. One in five seniors is already using CBD to manage pain, arthritis, cancer symptoms, sleep disorders, Alzheimer’s, and more. Despite decades of research and acknowledgment from institutions like the National Institutes of Health, most physicians receive no training on the ECS. There are still no FDA standards for CBD products on the market. If that were the case for any other class of medicine, it would be considered malpractice.
The World Health Organization has confirmed CBD’s excellent safety profile and non addictive nature in its critical review report. The result is that millions of older Americans are suffering unnecessarily when a safe and natural solution exists.
Hemp derived CBD is a powerful first step in restoring balance to the endocannabinoid system, but it is only part of the picture. Research shows that full spectrum cannabis extracts, which include a broader range of cannabinoids and terpenes, can work even more effectively. Complete concentrated cannabis oil, containing the full spectrum of natural endocannabinoids, may deliver the most profound results for certain patients. Expanding access to these therapies will be essential if we want to unlock the full healing potential of this plant.
The Economic and Social Impact
The video cites a powerful figure. A PricewaterhouseCoopers analysis estimates that fully integrating cannabis into the healthcare system could save the United States nearly 64 billion dollars annually. These savings reflect reduced pharmaceutical dependency, fewer hospitalizations, improved chronic disease outcomes, and enhanced quality of life for aging Americans. You can read more about PwC’s research on healthcare innovation here.
It is a financial argument, but it is also a moral one. Why should our elders endure pain, anxiety, and cognitive decline when nature has given us tools to help them live longer, happier, and healthier lives?
A Call to Action: Finish What the Farm Bill Started
The message concludes by crediting the 2018 Farm Bill, championed by President Trump, for legalizing hemp and laying the groundwork for today’s CBD market. The Farm Bill was just the first step.
Now the call is for bold next moves.
- Educate doctors about the endocannabinoid system
- Include CBD under Medicare coverage
- Provide clear federal standards for CBD quality and dosing
These steps would constitute the most significant senior health reform in modern history, one that would transform aging and cement a powerful legacy for any administration that makes it happen.
What This Means for Future Cannabis Medicine
For those of us who have been in the cannabis community for decades, this is not just another news story. It is a signal that our movement is winning. A conversation that was once criminalized and censored is now being amplified by the President of the United States on his own platform.
It means the science is undeniable. It means the truth can no longer be buried. It means the wall of prohibition is cracking, not just legally, but culturally, scientifically, and politically.
It also means that everything we have been fighting for at 420 Magazine since 1993, education, access, healing, and justice, is finally moving full steam ahead. The President Trump CBD Cannabis Science Truth Social moment is proof that science and policy are finally converging.
-
Business2 years agoPot Odor Does Not Justify Probable Cause for Vehicle Searches, Minnesota Court Affirms
-
Business2 years agoNew Mexico cannabis operator fined, loses license for alleged BioTrack fraud
-
Business2 years agoAlabama to make another attempt Dec. 1 to award medical cannabis licenses
-
Business2 years agoWashington State Pays Out $9.4 Million in Refunds Relating to Drug Convictions
-
Business2 years agoMarijuana companies suing US attorney general in federal prohibition challenge
-
Business2 years agoLegal Marijuana Handed A Nothing Burger From NY State
-
Business2 years agoCan Cannabis Help Seasonal Depression
-
Blogs2 years agoCannabis Art Is Flourishing On Etsy