Growshop for chicory
Growshop “De Tevreden Rookster” (The Happy Smoker) in Groningen, somewhat cynically states it will no longer sell equipment for the cultivation of cannabis, but only for home growers of peppers and chicory. The witticism allows the owner to circumvent the new Opium Act. By law it is an offence to facilitate the cultivation of hemp. Suppliers can now be penalized as a result. According to the owner, the new law misses its target. "Large-scale growers buy their equipment wholesale."
2.7 hectares of cannabis in a former tomato greenhouse in the US.
Now a criminal offence?
What about the horticultural suppliers and the new Opium law? Are they indictable when their materials are found with hemp growers? Lawyer Joost-Joris van Doleweerd of 3 Advocaten emphasizes the importance of serious research into the applications of the products. "If you can prove that you have verified that the goods will not be used for cannabis cultivation, then you have essentially fulfilled your end of the deal and can’t be held accountable under the new law," he writes in his blog. “At least in my estimation.” The format of this study is different for everyone.
International developments
It seems to still be legal to supply international hemp growers. And that's positive, because this market is developing. In more and more countries the cultivation of cannabis is legalized. In Uruguay, for example, the legalization of the production, sale and consumption of cannabis was agreed upon in 2013. In Canada, the Dutch company Bedrocan is active in medicinal cannabis cultivation. In some US states, the medicinal use of cannabis is allowed and the sector is in development. Greenhouses used for growing tomatoes are even converted for cannabis cultivation.
Horticulture suppliers
In the US, furthermore, medicine, health and wellness products are being developed based on cannabis. Businesses are also finding other uses for industrial hemp. According to figures from the ArcView Group, revenues from the sector are now nearing 10 billion dollars. Recently it was announced that the American billionaire Peter Thiel, known for PayPal and Facebook, invested millions in the legal cannabis industry.
The developments in the sector also affect the manufacturers and hence the horticultural suppliers. Professional nurseries are set up, albeit under a lot of media attention, and research is being done to optimize cultivation. Thus greenhouse builder GIS started a partnership with two marijuana growers to develop the proper lighting conditions for various breeds. The American greenhouse company Mountain High Greenhouse Construction LLC, by the Dutch greenhouse builders Van der Drift, established an alliance last year with two other companies: grower TRiQ and consultancy company Larssen LTD. Together they developed a culture system on gutters.
On the Marijuana Business Conference & Expo, to be held in May, numerous professional horticultural suppliers are expected to attend. Yet for the Dutch horticultural supplies, it’s not necessarily a good idea to focus entirely on the sector. Suppliers call it a hype. "Instead of Urban Farming, the sector now seems to go wild over cannabis."