Vertical Cultivation: Cannabis Tourism
Cannabis is without a doubt the hottest topic of 2019. The astronomical rate at which cannabis has gotten popular has propelled the industry to unimaginable heights given the fact that cannabis was only just legalized a couple of years ago. The medical and recreational functions of cannabis were originally the major culprits behind cannabis popularity but as the industry developed and more people got in on the action, not only on the consuming side of the chain but also on the supply side, the endless possibilities cannabis offers medically and economically became the driving force behind the industry's upward trajectory. Cannabis is like the 'Patrick Mahomes' of the financial world. Just like how Mahomes is one of a kind in the NFL, economically speaking, there hasn't been an entity that rakes in revenue like cannabis does. The cannabis industry is expected to exceed $60 billion by 2025, an unbelievable growth rate considering the industry's tough beginning. And although other factors and fields of the industry play a huge role in this projected growth, a large chunk of it can be attributed to cannabis tourism.
A closer look at cannabis tourism
Like the word suggests, cannabis tourism is any tourist action fuelled by cannabis. The legality of cannabis in certain states (Colorado, Amsterdam) or countries (Canada) makes them a hotspot for weed lovers around the world. A place where lovers of cannabis can go to freely and legally enjoy the wonders this God-given plant provides.
Cannabis tourism has been a resource of revenue generation in all regions where it's legal with this being clearly evident in the astronomical increase of tourism in Colorado. Cannabis was legalized for recreational use in Colorado in 2012 and since then the State's department of tourism has reported an increase of over 50% in tourism in the state; the state welcomes millions of cannabis tourists yearly. The rapid expansion of this field of the industry has instigated the development of several cannabis-infused activities to keep the tourists entertained and the level of tourism high. A couple of places tourists can go to enjoy themselves and activities they can engage in include:
· Festivals
· Group cannabis activities
· Weed tourism bus tours
· Wine and weed tours
· Cannabis getaways
· Marijuana themed parties
· Cannabis Lounges, Clubs, and Coffee Shops
· Marijuana dispensaries, and so on.
While all these allow tourists to have the most wonderful of experiences, the latest source of cannabis tourism is bound to elevate that to another level. Without a doubt, it is by far the most aesthetically appealing and also surprisingly one of the cheapest to bring to fruition. This new shining light for cannabis tourism is vertical cultivation.
I'm sure right about now you're probably wondering 'what is vertical cultivation?', 'what's so special about it?' What's this and what's that... Yeah, I totally get you. I also had a million questions the first time I heard the term, but fret not! Sit back, take a sip of your favorite drink and relax because I'm going to tell you all you need to know about vertical cultivation and just how mindblowing it is.
What is vertical cultivation
Vertical cultivation is one of the many techniques of growing cannabis. It's arguably the method that best conserves space and increases efficiency. In fact, the main purpose of this method of farming is maximizing output in a limited space. Vertical cultivation is the term used to describe growing plants in vertically arranged layers, vertically oriented surfaces and/or integrated in other structures like a skyscraper, shipping container, etc. Vertical cultivation employs controlled environment agriculture technology, an innovative way of farming that uses indoor farming techniques like the artificial regulation of basic factors that impacts plant yield. Factors like temperature, humidity, and light are all artificially controlled. Some vertical farms also augment natural sunlight with devices like metal reflectors, a practice originally associated with greenhouse farming.
Understanding how vertical cultivation works is very easy, the key is to know the four pillars that serve as its foundation. These four pillars are:
· Physical layout - The vertical nature of cultivation is the core of vertical cultivation. Cultivating plants this way ensures higher yield per square meter and is a beauty to behold especially around skyscrapers.
· Lighting - Vertical cultivation involves the use of both natural and artificial light. In most cases, the natural light is augmented by artificial lighting systems so an optimum light level can be maintained.
· Growing medium - Given the nature of support plants are provided with in vertical cultivation the use of soil isn't beneficial. Instead of the rather basic method of using soil as the growing medium, more advanced and mindblowing techniques are used. The techniques employed include Aeroponics, Aquaponics, Hydroponics, Aerofarms, Lokal, Plantscapers, VertiCrop, and so on.
· Sustainability - This is the last peculiar aspect of vertical cultivation. Vertical cultivation employs several sustainability measures specifically designed to reduce the energy cost of cultivation. A proof of how efficient these sustainability features are is evident in the fact that vertical cultivation uses over 90% less water compared to other farming techniques.
Vertical cultivation and cannabis tourism
Aesthetically pleasing sights and tourism are two things that can never be separated. A beautiful sight will always attract tourists from every corner of the globe as can be seen in the millions of visitors resort islands, beautiful cities, etc attract yearly. And like these resorts and cities, vertical cultivation of cannabis will attract millions of visitors from all over the world because quite frankly there's nothing quite as beautiful as a building adorned with cannabis. The sight is one of a kind! The human mind is easily marveled by things believed to be impossible like vertical cultivation. Decades ago no one in their right mind could've envisaged the wonders being made possible through vertical cultivation, so the fact that the impossible is happening right before our eyes is reason enough to believe that vertical cultivation is a goldmine of tourist dollars waiting to be unleashed. And not just to marvel at the beauty of it outdoors, numerous people, myself included will love to see vertical cultivation being practiced indoors, whether in labs, farms, exhibition rooms, museums, anywhere at all, and I can guarantee you a lot of people will pay top dollar to see such wonders. People already pay so much to see things not as beautiful or as intriguing so I see no reason why vertical cultivation won't be the most potent weapon in cannabis tourism's arsenal.
Bottom line
Vertical cultivation of cannabis is estimated to be one of, if not the most efficient source of cannabis tourism revenue in the nearest future. You heard it here first, eyes have not seen, neither have ears heard the wonders vertical cultivation of cannabis has in store.
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