Local cannabis co. growing

A lot has changed in the past 16 months for Doja Cannabis. 

The local company got its licence to grow medical cannabis in July 2017, but with the legalization of cannabis last month, the producer is venturing into the recreational market exclusively.

Castanet was given a tour of the West Kelowna grow facility back in June 2017, before any plants first arrived. On Friday, Castanet went back to the facility, and things were a lot greener this time.

The facility is now home to thousands of cannabis plants at different stages of growth. 

The plants start as cuttings from a 'mother' plant. Dylan Zaitsoff, cultivation manager at the facility and Castanet's tour guide Friday, said this cloning technique ensures the end product will be genetically identical to the mother plant and carry its desired traits. 

Once the clones start producing roots, they're put in a substrate with 18 hours of light and six hours of darkness throughout the day. After two to three weeks in the "veg room," they're transferred to a grow room where they flower for eight to 10 weeks, with 12 hours of light and dark. 

Finally, the plants buds are dried for about two weeks, and a third-party lab tests the final product before it hits the shelves. 

While Doja is one of the B.C. government's Licensed Producers, their product is not yet available. Zaitsoff says he expects the public to be able to buy their cannabis online and at the Kamloops Cannabis Store next month.