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Photos: Weed cultivation goes outdoors in Canada, “au naturel”

WeedMD is one of 13 Canadian pot companies that have been granted outdoor cultivation licenses in an industry that predominantly grows in greenhouses or warehouses. The amount of outdoor-grown cannabis will make up a small portion of the market this year -- less than 10% of the cultivation licenses granted in Canada are for outdoors -- but many more are in the pipeline after the Canadian government changed its rules last year to allow pot farms.

Updated on: Aug 08, 2019 2:19 PM IST

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Cannabis plants grow at a WeedMD Inc. outdoor facility in Strathroy, Ontario. WeedMD is one of 13 Canadian pot companies that have been granted outdoor cultivation licenses in an industry that predominantly grows in greenhouses or warehouses. (Cole Burston / Bloomberg)

Updated on Aug 08, 2019 2:19 PM

Cannabis plants grow at a WeedMD Inc. outdoor facility in Strathroy, Ontario. WeedMD is one of 13 Canadian pot companies that have been granted outdoor cultivation licenses in an industry that predominantly grows in greenhouses or warehouses. (Cole Burston / Bloomberg)

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Roots sprout from cannabis plants at a WeedMD Inc. growing facility. The amount of outdoor-grown cannabis will make up a small portion of the market this year -- less than 10% of the cultivation licenses granted in Canada are for outdoors -- but many more are in the pipeline after the Canadian government changed its rules last year to allow pot farms. (Cole Burston / Bloomberg)

Updated on Aug 08, 2019 2:19 PM

Roots sprout from cannabis plants at a WeedMD Inc. growing facility. The amount of outdoor-grown cannabis will make up a small portion of the market this year -- less than 10% of the cultivation licenses granted in Canada are for outdoors -- but many more are in the pipeline after the Canadian government changed its rules last year to allow pot farms. (Cole Burston / Bloomberg)

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A worker places predatory mite sachets on cannabis plants at a WeedMD Inc. growing facility. The appeal is clear: growing outdoors can cost as little as one-fifth that of greenhouse production and it can be marketed as being grown “au naturel” under the sun. It can also carry higher risk from pests, pesticides and weather. (Cole Burston / Bloomberg)

Updated on Aug 08, 2019 2:19 PM

A worker places predatory mite sachets on cannabis plants at a WeedMD Inc. growing facility. The appeal is clear: growing outdoors can cost as little as one-fifth that of greenhouse production and it can be marketed as being grown “au naturel” under the sun. It can also carry higher risk from pests, pesticides and weather. (Cole Burston / Bloomberg)

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“Growing outside is a dream,” said Derek Pedro, chief cannabis officer at WeedMD, during a tour of the farm in Strathroy, about 225 kilometers (140 miles) from Toronto. He said the natural changes in light and temperature outside result in “bigger, tastier, denser” buds with a better high than the same strain grown in a greenhouse. (Cole Burston / Bloomberg)

Updated on Aug 08, 2019 2:19 PM

“Growing outside is a dream,” said Derek Pedro, chief cannabis officer at WeedMD, during a tour of the farm in Strathroy, about 225 kilometers (140 miles) from Toronto. He said the natural changes in light and temperature outside result in “bigger, tastier, denser” buds with a better high than the same strain grown in a greenhouse. (Cole Burston / Bloomberg)

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A worker prunes a cannabis mother plant at a WeedMD Inc. facility. “Restricting the cultivation of cannabis to indoor facilities, both greenhouse and buildings, will ensure a safe and secure production environment,” Bruce Linton, then co-chief executive officer of Canopy Growth Corp., told a Canadian Senate hearing in May 2018, pointing to the potential for theft and low-quality product outdoors. (Cole Burston / Bloomberg)

Updated on Aug 08, 2019 2:19 PM

A worker prunes a cannabis mother plant at a WeedMD Inc. facility. “Restricting the cultivation of cannabis to indoor facilities, both greenhouse and buildings, will ensure a safe and secure production environment,” Bruce Linton, then co-chief executive officer of Canopy Growth Corp., told a Canadian Senate hearing in May 2018, pointing to the potential for theft and low-quality product outdoors. (Cole Burston / Bloomberg)

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Lab coats hang on a rack at a WeedMD Inc. cannabis growing facility. Earlier opposition was “propaganda,” said Jeannette VanderMarel, co-CEO of 48North Cannabis Corp., which received one of the first outdoor cultivation licenses for a farm in Brant County, Ontario, with a potential capacity of 40,000 kilograms. The company also has a small indoor cultivation facility and a processing and manufacturing plant. (Cole Burston / Bloomberg)

Updated on Aug 08, 2019 2:19 PM

Lab coats hang on a rack at a WeedMD Inc. cannabis growing facility. Earlier opposition was “propaganda,” said Jeannette VanderMarel, co-CEO of 48North Cannabis Corp., which received one of the first outdoor cultivation licenses for a farm in Brant County, Ontario, with a potential capacity of 40,000 kilograms. The company also has a small indoor cultivation facility and a processing and manufacturing plant. (Cole Burston / Bloomberg)

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A worker holds a bag of dried cannabis buds at a WeedMD Inc. growing facility. Growing outdoors eliminates the need for costly lighting, heating and cooling systems. VanderMarel at 48North estimated that it costs the company 25 cents a gram to grow outdoors. WeedMD CEO Keith Merker said it can grow for about 20 cents at its farm versus C$1 a gram in a greenhouse and C$2 a gram for a typical indoor site. (Cole Burston / Bloomberg)

Updated on Aug 08, 2019 2:19 PM

A worker holds a bag of dried cannabis buds at a WeedMD Inc. growing facility. Growing outdoors eliminates the need for costly lighting, heating and cooling systems. VanderMarel at 48North estimated that it costs the company 25 cents a gram to grow outdoors. WeedMD CEO Keith Merker said it can grow for about 20 cents at its farm versus C$1 a gram in a greenhouse and C$2 a gram for a typical indoor site. (Cole Burston / Bloomberg)

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A worker turns up soil between rows of cannabis plants at the WeedMD Inc. outdoor growing facility. Critics say outdoor cannabis is more susceptible to pest infestations and contamination from pesticides at neighboring farms. Detractors also say the long Canadian winters don’t make the country ideal for growing pot, with the plant better suited to the benign climate of places like California, where outdoor growing is widespread. (Cole Burston / Bloomberg)

Updated on Aug 08, 2019 2:19 PM

A worker turns up soil between rows of cannabis plants at the WeedMD Inc. outdoor growing facility. Critics say outdoor cannabis is more susceptible to pest infestations and contamination from pesticides at neighboring farms. Detractors also say the long Canadian winters don’t make the country ideal for growing pot, with the plant better suited to the benign climate of places like California, where outdoor growing is widespread. (Cole Burston / Bloomberg)

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Most farm-grown pot will be used in products like edibles, beverages and vape pens, where the quality of the original plant matters less than in smokable dried-flower. “Outdoor-grown cannabis is going to be something that people will seek out,” Merker said. “We think that from a marketing perspective there’s a tremendous opportunity for a sun-grown, natural product.” (Cole Burston / Bloomberg)

Updated on Aug 08, 2019 2:19 PM

Most farm-grown pot will be used in products like edibles, beverages and vape pens, where the quality of the original plant matters less than in smokable dried-flower. “Outdoor-grown cannabis is going to be something that people will seek out,” Merker said. “We think that from a marketing perspective there’s a tremendous opportunity for a sun-grown, natural product.” (Cole Burston / Bloomberg)

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