How to use data collection for cannabis cultivation

Added on 15 September 2022

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How to use data collection for cannabis cultivation

Data is king in modern business, and cannabis cultivation is no different. To understand precisely what's happening in every room of your grow facility, your facility needs a robust system of data collection and analysis.

Access to this sort of contextualized data offers a competitive edge in the form of real-time and historic environmental monitoring, optimized master recipes, Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) compliant procedures, and more informed decision-making at every level. This guide introduces the concept of data collection in cannabis cultivation, along with the ways data analytics are used to benefit grow facilities.

People, Process, Product: Data Collection in Cannabis Cultivation

There are a number of ways data collection and analysis can impact a cannabis cultivation facility for the better. They range from the operational to the practical, enabling decision-makers to improve everything from the environments in which plants grow to the way personnel manage their day. When it comes to fine-tuning a grow facility in terms of the three P's - people, process, and product - data capture and analysis is the essential ingredient.

Attaining Good Manufacturing Practices Certification

It's no secret the arrival of GMP standards for the cannabis industry will be an inevitable result of widespread legalization, both in the U.S. and worldwide. GMP standards already govern other manufacturing operations, including food, beverage, and pharmaceuticals. GMP standards are designed to ensure companies adhere to best practices in repeatable, documented procedures that govern how products are made. While there are many approaches to meeting GMP standards, demonstrating compliance with this set of guidelines requires extensive data and documentation.

Cannabis cultivators have long operated outside the confines of GMP standards, which until now haven't applied to the legal cannabis industry. However, as cannabis goes mainstream and businesses are normalized, GMP standards are expected to apply to them just like any other manufacturing operation. Businesses that are not preparing for this transition now will find themselves behind the times when GMP regulations go into effect.