TriGrow's David Kessler On The Need For Standards In Cannabis Cultivation

The moniker “The [Major Brand Name] of Cannabis” is often used to refer to new innovations or processes in the nascent market.

When Benzinga heard that TriGrow Systems — an end-to-end provider of cannabis cultivation hardware and software for the legal industry — was helping cultivate the “The Coca Cola Co KO of Cannabis,” we had to learn more.

Creating A Crop Standard 

Big brands will continue to enter the cannabis sector. Yet in the cultivation space, there has been concern over big brands' flower replacing the diverse array of crops that have grown for generations.

TriGrow is not aiming to create a Coca-Cola in terms of market space or product homogenization, said David Kessler, the senior vice president of horticultural solutions at TriGrow. 

Instead, the company aims to provide the industry with the kind of standardization one would expect from a big brand.

“If I open a can of Coke, I have a very clear idea in my mind of what that experience should be,” Kessler said.

That's not the case in today’s cannabis space, the exec said.

"There’s no consistency to the taxonomic naming structure. I call 'Blue Dream' one thing. Another dispensary has a completely different strain, and they just call it 'Blue Dream.'"

'You Don't Know What You're Getting' 

Breeders often take cuttings and change their name as well, only deepening the misinformation in the market, Kessler said. 

It's this concern that propels TriGrow and others to create a standardized consumption experience in cannabis.

“It’s that level of inconsistency where you don’t know exactly how it’s going to affect you. You don’t know exactly what you’re getting."

While cultivation technology is advancing, it's harder to market than the Coca-Cola experience, Kessler said.

"Talking about the efficiency of cultivation isn't sexy, but it is important, right?"

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