A Thoughtful Growing Trend
The role of an industry is two-fold. First, an industry addresses the physical demand of the consumer, by supplying. Second, and possibly just as important, especially for our industry, is the r
he role of an industry is two-fold. First, an industry addresses the physical demand of the consumer, by supplying. Second, and possibly just as important, especially for our industry, is the role of an industry in meeting societal demands, to supply the people in perhaps a safer, quicker or more efficient way. Industries don’t just supply products; they develop solutions to product problems. The cannabis industry is still plagued by legal parameters, and thus, most of the industry “energy” is being spent on developing solutions to work with constantly changing regulations. Once the fog of legal tape and stigmatization clears, companies will be overjoyed to focus more of their time on making the product better, not just legal.
An area of concern for growers and patients alike is that of the safety of the substances put into soil or water to grow cannabis. Certain sprays and chemical nutrients can end up manifesting themselves in the cannabis itself. I mean let’s face it; we’ve all stumbled upon some pretty “chemmy” herb. Not only does the taste turn some people off, but the implications of medicine which tastes like chemicals raises some just concerns over the use of chemicals in general. A progressive and proactive approach has thus arisen from many industry leaders, in addressing this as not only a patient safety issue, but also as one of public perception. If we want to create medicine, we must take it upon ourselves to create it in a way which takes advantage of the therapeutic qualities of the plant while reducing the harms can result from methods of production.
Vegamatrix™ is the veganic nutrient line developed by Kyle Kushman and has finally become available in Michigan. Following his passion for organic growing and also following his exit from a position as High Times first in-house cultivation editor, Kyle set his intention on growing better cannabis with safer products.
After his first try at veganic growing, yielding “the healthiest plants I’ve ever grown in my life,” Kushman joined forces with an organic chemist to produce Vegamatrix™, the first veganic nutrient line with a two-year shelf life. “We made Vegamatrix™ 95 percent natural and organic, that’s allowing for three percent mined mineral and two percent synthetics, which are only used for stabilization of kelp and as a preservative. Even the preservatives we use qualify for organic production,” Kushman told CULTURE. “We’ve used technology to create a product that’s actually powerful, as well as veganic.”
As a 70-year-old underground industry comes to light, old ideas and new technology feed off of each other, addressing the concerns of users past, who didn’t have the resources to commit to research and development. Organic and veganic growing is an option for those willing to learn and grow with this movement as a whole. Just as cannabis policy reform has set the stage for grass roots policy reform in the future, the cannabis industry has the potential to continue that model of thinking by inspiring grass roots companies, formed solely to respond to one particular industry problem; in this case, to the question of, “How can we make cannabis better and safer?” The development of such new innovative products represents a shift in our mentality, as Kyle Kushman explains, “usually these gardening products start with ‘big agriculture.’ They trickle down from the top instead of addressing grass root concerns.” Kushman’s organic and veganic nutrient and supplemental products will hopefully help growers and consumers alike to be more thoughtful about the food and medicine they put into their bodies, and what they are putting into their plants as well.
