The Growing Summit hits downtown Kelowna: March 31-April 1

Photo: okanaganz.com - BC Sungrown Harlequin by Tantalus Labs

An upcoming conference in downtown Kelowna will bring together legacy and legal cannabis growers.

Organizers of the Growing Summit, held on March 31 and April 1 at The Laurel Packinghouse, say this is a perfect time to make key connections at “a pinnacle-moment” for the industry. 

“An important focus of the conference is networking and building community,” said Stephanie Ostrander, chair of the summit’s planning committee.

“We recognize this is how craft growers will succeed in this corporatized industry – by working together and building buying power, sharing the cost of services like QA (quality assurance), accounting, security and information-sharing.”

In the early days…

To many, it became brutally apparent early on in legalization that the evolution from conspicuous grow-ops to big ol’ mechanized factories was going to be bumpy. Poor quality flower from some of the biggest names – fill in the blank(s) – left even the staunchest supporters grumbling.

Yes, there were diamonds in the larf: 7Acres, Whistler Cannabis Co., Tantalus Labs. But overall, large-scale factories weren’t ideal due to the often underwhelming quality and higher price compared to the black market. 

Now with Cannabis 2.0 products more widely available, competition is even tougher. That means consistent quality is paramount to bringing repeat business. Those who buy the majority of buds are the discerning type. Craft cannabis is definitely a thing.

A conference in the heart of the B.C. Interior to talk about how to grow really great pot is a timely event for anyone serious about gleaning insight.

B.C. bud has a reputation for a reason. 

The venue itself is a historic symbol of the Okanagan Valley’s growing prowess. And maybe you’ve heard of a little place called Nelson.

Fun and games

Keep in mind that the Growing Summit isn’t like an HR conference… no offence to HR people.

It’s a cannabis conference and this isn’t all serious business. There is fun to be had hanging out at “the sidewalk scene.” 

This event does draw some of the finest growers so expect to be handed a sample or two. 

All meals are served at the venue and there are plenty of opportunities to make friends. 

If you are interested in going, use the promo code “420S” for 20% off the price; food is included. 

(If asked, say you heard it from the oz.)

Quick hits

Hobo is king of cannabis in Vancouver. Take a tour of their Vancouver flagship store. the oz.

He shoots, he scores! Eight-year-old wins $200 worth of cannabis products at youth hockey tournament. CTV News

Cannabis can be a leader in gender equality. The Cannabis 101 Podcast interviews Her(b) founder Gill Polard. the oz.

Dad jokes

I got an email from Google saying "At Google Earth, we are able to read maps backwards!" and I thought;
"That's just spam!"
 
A priest, a minister, and a rabbit walk into a blood bank...
The rabbit says, “I think I might be type o.”
 
I asked my sheepdog how many sheep we had, he said 40.
"What? We should only have 37!" I replied.
"I know" he said, "I rounded them up."

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This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.