Consumer Tracking and Analytics Moving to Cannabis Retailers
Cannabis retailers are often left out when it comes to innovations within the industry.
Taking grow room sensor technology to the next logical step, Urban Gro recently launched a new innovative solution for managing grow room environmental conditions via the Internet of Things (IoT) technologies. Soleil Technologies incorporates low power sensor products and SaaS technology to provide growers with detailed and timely data about their operation.
In the infancy stages of any new industry, the opportunities for entrepreneurs, pioneers, and risk-takers are unprecedented. The cannabis industry is no exception. Ty Duffy, the founder of Low Spark Incorporated, is one such individual who saw an opportunity to flourish in the cannabis industry. Grasping the ancillary business market and providing a much-needed to cannabis business, Mr. Duffy has grown his one-man operation into a robust, high-tech solution with dozens of employees and hundreds of clients.
The current environment surrounding legal cannabis is riddled with inconsistencies, often being referred to as the “Wild West.” From state to state, not only does the legality of cannabis vary, so do the regulations and standards for cannabis businesses. To rein in these inconsistencies and provide the Federal Government with necessary assurances of high standards, Joshua Laterman founded the National Association of Cannabis Business (NACB) to address national standards and policy.
While it’s no secret, consistency is key to producing a quality cannabis crop with the maximum yield possible, maintaining consistency can be challenging as the business grows. Last week, during the Seed to Sale show in Denver, urban-gro received the Excellence in Technology award for their high-density, sense and control technology called Soleil – a data collection marvel in the future agricultural technology which aims to eliminate human error and create unprecedented consistency in grow rooms regardless of size.
On July 1, 2018, changes to federal legislation are set to open up an already liberal marketplace, putting Canada on the cusp of fully legalizing cannabis for recreational purposes – countrywide. Canadian cannabis companies, as well as the peripheral businesses, no longer need to operate on the fringes of the business world and many are ready to take cannabis technology where it has never gone before.
Most growers will tell you that despite the expansion of technology in the cannabis sector, little of it has trickled down to the level of the gardener. Most farmers still rely on a good old-fashioned notebook. The status quo is no integration, little automation, and absolutely no data analysis on environmental conditions.
The growth of any industry yields not only an influx of data but also the need to access this data. Real-time intelligence and analytical platforms are crucial to providing the data insight needed to navigate this new terrain and make informed business decisions.
A relatively new entry into the cannabis industry, GrowX’s aeroponic innovations for indoor operations are nevertheless revolutionizing the sector. Just as LED light science dramatically changed the market just a few years ago, aeroponics is set to do the same by improving yield while reducing water consumption.
Data management and cybersecurity in the cannabis industry is often the last item on an organization's lengthy to-do list. Cannabis companies are scaling rapidly, with far too many other issues to contend with; data security is barely a blip on the radar.
Innovations in horticultural lighting technologies have advanced with the continued growth in many plant-based industries, including food consumption and pharmaceuticals. Among the uses of more advanced lighting science is the ability to control the min-maxing of photosynthetic light fixtures, improving yield and growth cycle duration.