LARGE SCALE V.S. BOUTIQUE CANNABIS – WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE?

In the cannabis industry, there is a growing number of large-scale and boutique cultivations that work hard to provide their cannabis to consumers. However, while both have a common goal of customer satisfaction and retention, each has key differences that impact the way they operate and ultimately, the end product. 

So, what is the difference between large-scale and boutique cannabis? Let’s dive in. 

LARGE SCALE CANNABIS 

Large-scale operations need to be able to produce an abundance of cannabis throughout the year. To do so, they oftentimes cultivate cannabis in multiple styles, including greenhouse, outdoor, and warehouse. In fact, the current largest producer of cannabis has more than 9,213,000 square feet of mixed-use space involving greenhouse, warehouse, and outdoor. While this number is astonishing and sounds incredible, we must also think of the various impacts these large-scale operations have.

Environmental: The cannabis plant loves water, which means the larger the cultivation the more water is needed for the crops to thrive. In cannabis, it is a general rule of thumb that cultivators can expect to use one gallon of water per day for each pound of processed flower they plan to harvest. When you factor in large-scale operations that have nearly 10 million square feet of cultivation space, this is an important fact to keep in mind.

Quality & Care: As with any large-scale operation, there will be multiple operating systems in place that ensure the process runs smoothly. However, with these processes, quality and care can be set on the back burner. This is because the focus turns to producing the largest number of goods for distribution possible rather than the best quality.

Price: One of the perks to large-scale operations is that the price for consumers does tend to be reduced. However, this price decrease comes at a cost – usually in regard to the quality and care of the operation.

BOUTIQUE AND CRAFT CANNABIS 

Boutique and craft cannabis operations are becoming increasingly popular in this industry for many reasons. First, not only do they require fewer start-up costs and overhead, but they also tend to focus more on the core values and culture of cannabis – something that is extremely important for many cannabis consumers.

This is similar to the beer industry, craft breweries began popping up across the country in recent years. The popularity of these establishments comes from the quality, trust, and uniqueness each operation provides, just like boutique cannabis operations. 

Here are some reasons why boutique and craft cannabis operations continue to come out on top. 

Environment: Many boutique cannabis operations, like Yellow Dream Farm, put an emphasis on being environmentally friendly. From LED lights to new technology and solar-powered greenhouses, these smaller cultivation sites benefit from a more environmentally conscious operation. 

Quality & Adaptability: Boutique cannabis operations are known for putting an emphasis on quality throughout the entire growing process. Smaller operations also allow for customers to more easily be heard. If a certain strain is requested or a new method is announced, boutique cannabis companies can better adapt to these wants and needs than large-scale ones. 

Price: Boutique operations have a notorious rep for being expensive, but things have changed for the better. Yellow Dream Farm prides itself on being an affordable boutique cannabis company, which allows more consumers to gravitate towards boutique cannabis. In addition, while the price of a boutique cannabis product at wholesale or retail cost might be slightly higher than that of a large-scale operation, customers understand that they are getting a better quality product. 

In an industry that is just gaining its momentum, there will be many more large-scale operations hitting the scene, but that doesn’t mean boutique and craft cannabis is losing any momentum. From offering a higher quality and more unique strains to environmentally conscious operations, it is easy to see why boutique cannabis might come out on top. 

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