Which license class is right for you?
Health Canada introduced several new classes of cannabis cultivation licenses with the Cannabis Act. The nursery cultivation license is definitely a unique update and one that a licensed cannabis producer can take advantage of to add to their arsenal of licenses. The Cannabis Act (or Bill C-45) carves out a specific niche in the market geared towards producers looking to craft interesting genetics, or simply sell seeds to other licensed parties. This represents a sizeable opportunity considering the volume of licensees on the market looking to populate their facility with new starter genetics.
For nursery seed production the total surface area cannot exceed 50 m2 (for all the parts of budding or flowering plants). This limit is only for flowering plants, there is no canopy space limitations for non-flowering plants (i.e. plants in veg, clones). Also, for a nursery selling clones, they likely wouldn’t grow at high density; they’d grow mother plants at a lower density so the plants would get larger, and produce more cuttings.
Health Canada is looking to ensure there are clear distinctions between the nursery and broader cultivation licenses. As such, they've placed limits this license class: no more than 5kg of flowering heads may be harvested from plants (with the exception of seeds). These flowering heads, including leaves and branches, must also be destroyed within 30 days of harvesting. These nuances can be complex. Don't risk your license. We can assist with an appropriate cultivation plan.
Your Partner Master Grower, Shlomo Booklin
GrowerIQ's Master Grower, Shlomo Booklin, has worked as Head Grower for some of Canada's leading cannabis cultivation operations, such as Tilray and MedReleaf. Having managed the production of over 100 million plants, he has refined his growing techniques and trained others in the industry on how to produce safe for consumer, high-quality, cost-effective products. Unlike some other consulting firms, GrowerIQ brings you deep industry experience. Shlomo's 30+ years of commercial growing experience means that our experts will help craft your application submission taking into account what actually works in practice.
What should I expect during the nursery cultivation license application process?
Health Canada wants to ensure that you've thought out every aspect of your business, and included those plans in your application. This includes obvious areas like your physical security, cultivation, and production plans, but also extends to business organizational structure, key investors, and your facility's Standard Operating Procedures. Ensuring that your nursery cultivation application contains the requisite level of detail is one way to help the application process flow smoothly. The experts at GrowerIQ inform our planning process with actual comments received from Health Canada's review of previous applications.
A significant change to the application process occurred in May 2019. Now, the Health Canada licensing process requires you to have a fully-built out facility before they will review your application.
Don't know where to begin? We can simplify the process.
The nursery cultivation license class has less stringent security clearance requirements (for example video monitoring), and the smaller space requires less capital investment. There are however, restrictions on the sale of product.
Let's discuss your project in order to determine which of the license classes best supports you, what your differentiation strategy should be, and how to model your expenses. Nothing is more frustrating than spending time and money pursuing a class of license, only to find that it doesn't meet your long-term needs. Find out more on our consulting services by clicking the link below, or starting a chat to the right.
About GrowerIQ
GrowerIQ is changing the way producers use software - transforming a regulatory requirement into a robust platform to learn, analyze, and improve performance.
To find out more about GrowerIQ and how we can help, fill out the form to the right, start a chat, or contact us.