The Sun

Without it our planet would be nothing more than a barren ball of ice. But the sun does so much more than simply warm us. It drives our weather, moves ocean currents, and provides the energy that makes all life on earth possible.

For those who don’t remember their Grade 4 science classes, it all boils down to photosynthesis, the process through which plants use light energy to fuel their growth. Although technically you don’t actually need the sun to make photosynthesis happen at all. In fact, artificial sources of illumination also work, which is why cannabis rowers were able to take their crops indoors during the prohibition era.

And do you know what? It worked. So much so that it has since been expanded onto an industrial scale by some of the large corporate LPs.

So, if artificial light is so effective at growing cannabis why, at Greentone, have we built a hybrid greenhouse to maximize sunlight?

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‍Not all light is created equal ‍

We firmly believe that what we put into our cannabis directly impacts the experience that you get out of it. It’s part of our dedication to living “La Vie En Vert” - a guiding principle that influences every part of our process, from our decision to use recycled rainwater, natural pest control - right the way through to our commitment to cultivating sun-grown cannabis.

You see, in our eyes, there’s simply no replacement for Mother Nature. After all, she's served the needs of cannabis plants for millennia, and shows no sign of losing her touch anytime soon. It’s one of the reasons why we’re so committed to sun-grown crops. The other is the impact that it has on the cannabis itself. Indeed, go speak to our team of growers and they’ll tell you that you can actually taste the difference between cannabis that’s been cultivated using sunlight and crops that have been reared using artificial illumination.

Why? It’s all about the terpenes, the organic compounds that give cannabis strains their unique flavour and aroma. Sun-grown cannabis has a richer terpene profile, which, put simply, means it tastes and smells better. So why would we choose to do anything other than sun-grow our cannabis?  ‍

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Spotlight on sustainability ‍

Taste is one thing, but our commitment to cultivating sun-grown cannabis is about so much more. We know that cannabis consumers care about the planet and want the industry to do a better job of protecting it. We are doing our part, which is another reason why we’re proud to call our cannabis sun-grown.

The good thing about the sun is that it’s natural, it’s free, and you don’t need to burn fossil fuels to create it. That means it’s the environmentally friendly choice for cannabis cultivators, especially when compared with power-hungry artificial lighting which massively increases the carbon footprint of cannabis crops. Sun-grown cannabis also delivers higher yields, so the entire process is more efficient, which is good news for Mother Nature and our customers.

Technology in service of Mother Nature

Our flagship facility in Becancour, Quebec has been custom built for sun-grown cultivation. The country’s most technologically advanced hybrid greenhouse, this 320,000 sq. ft. space has been specifically designed to maximize every plant’s potential.

Among a whole host of technological innovations, one of its most prominent features is its custom-designed roof, which allows more than 15% more sunlight to reach our crops compared to traditional greenhouses. It’s just one of the ways in which we’re combining our passion for the plant with cutting edge technology to produce truly premium cannabis.

Sun-grown or artificial light, environmentally friendly or high carbon footprint. These details matter. That’s why we focus on thousands of little things at every stage of our cannabis cultivation, because we know that in the end, they add up to make a big difference to your experience.