Victoria Souza of Suncrafted speaks to the Cannabis Control Commission about testing.
Mr. DeWitt, Outdoor Grow Manager explains the benefits of biodiversity in cannabis cultivation.
Outdoor and Sun Growers, Despite Having a License, Identify Many Obstacles to the CCC Preventing the Cultivation of Sustainable Cannabis
— David DeWitt, Outdoor Grow Manager
GREAT BARRINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS, USA, August 26, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ — Massachusetts outdoor cannabis growers in Massachusetts testified against regulations that threaten to bankrupt their operations before they can even start. The conversation occurred at a public listening session with the Cannabis Control Commission at the Mason Public Library on Thursday afternoon.
At issue are several technicalities from regulations that were written before actual cannabis cultivators began to operate. Media, or soil & water testing is at the forefront of the Alliance’s agenda. CCC regulations effectively require that every 10×10 foot plot of farmland be tested for contaminants, each and every year, to the tune of tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars annually, depending on grow canopy. Regulations this stringent for grow media simply do not, and could not exist, anywhere on earth for any other agricultural product. Cannabis products are regardless tested for these same contaminants after harvest, often two or three times in the case of concentrates or edibles, before hitting the dispensary.
Likewise the stringent threshold on microbe and fungi, incorporated as part of the overbroad “total yeast and mold” test, is another regulation cutting deep into the organic lifeblood of the industry. Outdoor Grow Manager for Suncrafted Dave DeWitt reminds the CCC: “Some of the protective biocontrol tools we’re authorized to use, like all organic farms, are bacteria-based. We’re promoting an ecosystem – we don’t get to tell nature to limit bacteria and fungi – especially since the vast majority of these organisms are benign to humans, and often responsible for a superior product!”
Another member of the Suncrafted team, Victoria Souza, Post-Harvest Manager, recited the challenge of submitting pesticide tests on fresh frozen cannabis prior to transfer to a processor. “These farms by definition often lack adequate infrastructure to keep frozen plant material on hand while awaiting testing,” she explains, “[T]here would ideally be some process where the harvest can be loaded directly into a freezer truck for shipment to the processor without such a preliminary test.” Her recommended fix would similarly be eliminating another level of redundancy, where all end cannabis products are tested for pesticides prior to sale, regardless of origin.
Suncrafted, and several members of the Sun Grown Cannabis Alliance trade group, has been raising these issues with the CCC since filing a petition with the agency in 2019. “Because indoor cannabis is estimated to take an obscene amount of power, up to 10% of this State’s energy consumption, these obstacles preventing sustainable cultivation implicate not only the cannabis market, but public health and cost of living issues for our communities” explained Tim McNamara, President of Suncrafted’s parent company Holistic Health Group, Inc. “We expect that the Commission and consumers alike, will take this issue more seriously in years to come.”
The Sun Grown Alliance is an organization comprised of like minded individuals and cannabis license holders around New England that seek to reduce barriers for sustainable cannabis production. The group served as the primary champion for changes to the allowable list of pesticides under the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR), to include various biocontrols already allowed for hemp and tobacco. The group meets monthly to discuss action items and initiatives designed to help cannabis cultivators throughout the region. Those interested in participating or joining are invited to follow the group on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn or by emailing info@sungrowncannabisalliance.com.
Suncrafted is the sustainably-focused brand of Holistic Health Group, Inc. that highlights its outdoor, greenhouse, solventless & waste reduction practices. The Massachusetts-based Company since 2020 has been actively pursuing regulatory reform for more environmentally sustainable practices, including reduction of energy consumption, and production and packaging waste reduction. Its products feature holistically derived formulations for natural medicinal and therapeutic value, and limit the use of isolates, solvents and artificial lighting that permeate the cannabis industry. Its genetics partner, Viking Vines, is active in locating the necessary genetics to continue these goals. The company’s headquarters are in Middleborough, and its products are found there at its adult use and medical dispensary, and other dispensaries throughout the State. Dispensaries looking to carry Suncrafted’s products, including its solventless live rosin and other NECANN award-winning products are encouraged to email wholesale@hhgma.com or call 1-833-SUNCRAFT for more information.
Tim McNamara
HHG
+1 774-419-3888
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