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Recognized as being Missouri\u2019s best-selling cannabis brand in 2021, Illicit Gardens is a grow facility and dispensary on a mission to free those incarcerated for cannabis-related crimes. The company is making this goal a reality by growing exceptional cannabis under the power of Fohse\u2019s A3i LED lights.<\/p>\n
Illicit Gardens COO Adam Diltz shares his insights into creating a stand-out cannabis brand, the role Fohse plays, and why cannabis justice reform is a cornerstone of their operation.<\/p>\n
For Illicit Gardens founders Adam Diltz and Nate Ruby, acting on their vision of using cannabis to create positive community change is of the utmost importance.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile there are a number of companies out there who claim to help shine a light on some of the hypocrisies and injustices in this space, there are very few who do much more than talk the talk,\u201d Diltz said. \u201cWe wanted to make sure we didn\u2019t just talk the talk, but walked the walk.\u201d<\/p>\n
When conceptualizing the Illicit Gardens brand in early 2020, the founders felt strongly that their actions and efforts behind the scenes should also align with their goals to promote cannabis justice reform. They wanted a name that would make people stop and do a double take.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen we landed on the name \u2018Illicit,\u2019 we had discussions about taking back that word from all the negative connotations associated with that word and the cannabis community,\u201d Diltz said. \u201cWhy was cannabis ever even labeled illicit?\u201d<\/p>\n
They knew that choosing an in-your-face name would provide opportunities to educate the public on the history and injustices of cannabis prohibition. Edgy, stylized branding by Illicit\u2019s creative director, Cristina Osorio, rounded out the new brand.<\/p>\n But Illicit Gardens is more than a cutting-edge, socially conscious cannabis company with cool branding. The team brings over 50 years of combined management experience, working in over 40 facilities in eight states. The company\u2019s genetic library features over 30 hand-selected cultivars. Proprietary drying and curing techniques maximize the terpene and cannabinoid content of the top-shelf flower while bio-security systems eliminate all contaminants from the air and any surfaces.<\/p>\n \u201cOur understanding of the science, ability to work with the environment and our strategic use of technology brings consistency and\u00a0top\u00a0quality in every harvest,\u201d Diltz said.\u00a0\u201cThere are not a lot of growers or facilities out there that are able to scale to the 1,000-pound-plus per month size and maintain craft-quality level cannabis products.\u201d<\/p>\n Good lighting is the foundation for any grow op. When Illicit Gardens opened its state-of-the-art facility in 2021, they undertook an intensive vetting process to ensure they selected the lights needed to achieve their cultivation goals.<\/p>\n For Diltz and the cultivation team, choosing Fohse\u2019s A3i lights was a no-brainer due to the system\u2019s unique features, reduced overheads and easy access to a great customer support team.<\/p>\n The\u00a0A3i<\/a>\u00a0is regarded by industry experts as being the most powerful grow light in the world. Its swiveling light bars allow maximum canopy penetration via cross illumination to neighboring grow plots while producing up to 60% more light per BTU than a traditional HOS system.<\/p>\n Installing A3i lights in Illicit Gardens\u2019 flowering rooms has been a game-changer, enabling them to get the same coverage with 60% of the total fixture account versus competitor systems\u00a0on a per-square-foot basis.<\/p>\n \u201cUsing LED has allowed us to\u00a0dramatically cut not only monthly utility costs, but also decrease our startup costs by requiring smaller HVAC units in\u00a0comparison to building a facility using traditional HPS lighting systems,\u201d Diltz said.<\/p>\n The ability to incorporate Fohse lights with other control systems is also a major bonus.<\/p>\n \u201cBeing able to integrate the controls into our facility\u00a0control\u00a0system allows for quick and easy management of our lighting\u00a0schedule, intensity and spectrums based on the stages of the plants\u2019 growth,\u201d Diltz explained.<\/p>\n Illicit Gardens works to minimize their carbon footprint as much as possible, so using lights that are more efficient and reduce their environmental impact is critical. To decrease water consumption, all moisture is pulled from the air in the grow rooms through condenser pumps on an HVAC system. It\u2019s then sterilized with dissolved oxygen and reintroduced into feed tanks. The A3i significantly reduces the company\u2019s energy consumption by producing 60% more light per BTU than an HPS system, as less strain is placed on cooling systems.<\/p>\n Through Illicit Gardens\u2019 focus on growing the highest quality medical cannabis, the company has built a loyal following of repeat customers in Missouri. Diltz sees this as an opportunity to create awareness of their local, regional and national reform goals while also supporting\u00a0like-minded activist groups and political initiatives.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cAnyone can grow cannabis, but can you grow top shelf\u00a0at scale while telling a\u00a0compelling\u00a0story?\u201d Diltz asks. \u201cIt\u2019s the story behind what we do that drives us to be better and makes patients care about the mission.\u201d<\/p>\n Illicit Gardens works with local and national advocacy groups to support the release of cannabis prisoners. On 4\/20, in collaboration with\u00a0Strange Music<\/a>\u00a0and Last Prisoner Project, Illicit Gardens launched its Freedoms Campaign and flew eight cannabis prisoners of war (POWs) to a studio in Missouri to record their stories\u00a0to raise money for their release and reintegration. Each month they will highlight a different prisoner and tell their story.<\/p>\n The campaign launch coincided with the release of a new product line,\u00a0\u201cWest by Illicit,\u201d which isthe brainchild of freed cannabis POW\u00a0Donte West<\/a>\u00a0who was sentenced to eight years for a first-time cannabis offense in Kansas.<\/p>\n \u201cWest fought his charges and ultimately secured his release\u00a0and dismissal of all charges\u00a0through sheer force of will and perseverance against a system designed to keep him behind bars,\u201d Diltz said, adding that 30% of the proceeds from \u201cWest by Illicit\u201d sales will be donated to a rotating list of Missouri\u2019s incarcerated cannabis prisoners to assist with their legal and reintegration fees.<\/p>\n Diltz and his team are determined to raise awareness for those incarcerated for cannabis crimes while also encouraging citizens to challenge the hypocrisy in the legal system regarding cannabis.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u00a0ask\u00a0consumers of our products\u00a0to not take for granted their freedoms,\u201d he says, and \u201cto understand the plight of those behind bars for the now-legal activity they get to enjoy\u00a0freely, and through an understanding of those injustices\u2014be inspired to take action.\u201d<\/p>\n VP of Marketing Daniel Craig says Illicit\u2019s contribution to the community \u201cextends beyond criminal justice reform and our work with Last Prisoner\u2019s Project.\u201d<\/p>\n For example, Illicit Gardens works closely with Southeast Enterprises, an organization giving those with mental disabilities an opportunity to participate in the workforce. Southeast Enterprises helps Illicit with their glass jar recycling programs, the only active cannabis recycling program in the city, as well with additional cleaning services at their cultivation and manufacturing facilities.<\/p>\n \u201cOur dispensaries have additionally partnered with HEDC (Hispanic Economic Development Corporation), which\u00a0is dedicated to improving the lives of Latinos within the greater Kansas City area,\u201d Craig says.<\/p>\n HEDC achieves this area through business development and economic and community wealth creation initiatives, including job placement, advanced workforce training, development of economic corridors and several other local projects. According to Craig, Illicit has raised over $25,000 in donations for HEDC activities.\u00a0<\/p>\n Illicit Gardens\u2019 drive for success is clear. And for their team, success isn\u2019t just about the dollar signs. At the end of the day, Craig says that \u201cIllicit aims to support both our patients, cannabis POWs and local community organizations.\u201d<\/p>\n And Fohse agrees. <\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re proud\u00a0to support the success of Illicit Gardens,\u201d says Fohse\u2019s chief marketing officer, Leonard Wilson. \u201cNot only are they growing high-quality cannabis with our LED fixtures, but their philanthropic work also lends a voice to the community while sharing compelling\u00a0stories of the\u00a0unsung.\u201d<\/p>\n The post Illicit Gardens Takes Action<\/a> appeared first on Cannabis Now<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Recognized as being Missouri\u2019s best-selling cannabis brand in 2021, Illicit Gardens is a grow facility and dispensary on a mission to free those incarcerated for cannabis-related crimes. The company is making this goal a reality by growing exceptional cannabis under the power of Fohse\u2019s A3i LED lights. Illicit Gardens COOContinue Reading<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":54911,"comment_status":"false","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[16199,50,16200,16201,15303,16202,16203,10223,16204,139,1576,16205,2063],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54910"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=54910"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54910\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":54912,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54910\/revisions\/54912"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/54911"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=54910"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=54910"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=54910"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/cannabisnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/IllicitGardensBud.jpg\")
<\/a>Growing Efficiently at Scale With Fohse LEDs<\/h4>\n
<\/a>A Platform for Change<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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\nRead More: Illicit Gardens Takes Action<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"