The Apple and Android app solution calculates vapor pressure deficit for better plant steering.
SACRAMENTO, Calif., May 18, 2022 -- PRESS RELEASE -- Dr. Greenhouse, Inc., a provider of state-of-the-art HVAC design and controls solutions for indoor grows, vertical farms and greenhouses, has launched the Dr. Greenhouse VPD Calculator App. The VPD Calculator app helps growers understand their indoor grow environment and its effect on plant responses and HVAC equipment operation.
“Our website VPD calculator is the most visited resource on our website. Our team decided to build a mobile VPD Calculator App for growers and farmers to quickly calculate their environment’s VPD,” notes Dr. Nadia Sabeh, president of Dr. Greenhouse, Inc. “It is critical to know the best environment for plant steering and health to ensure optimal crop outcomes and timing are achieved.”
Vapor pressure deficit (VPD) represents the “pressure” that air puts on the plant to transpire and move water and nutrients from the roots to other parts of the plant. For example:
The VPD can be a valuable metric for growers to predict water use, steer crops for optimal growth, and operate HVAC equipment to achieve the desired indoor plant environment.
The Dr. Greenhouse VPD Calculator App supports all crop types and includes VPD lookup tables for tomatoes, leafy greens and cannabis. The VPD Calculator App allows growers to use their existing air temperature and humidity sensors to understand if the room condition is more suitable for vegetative, flowering or stress-induced plants. The VPD Calculator App provides color-coded results to indicate if the room is humid (blue), vegetative (green) or reproductive (yellow) or dry (purple).
For facility designers and grow house managers, the VPD Calculator App can predict evapotranspiration rates to estimate plants’ water usage and dehumidification requirements. With this information, the HVAC equipment can be designed to meet facility climate control goals.
Sabeh comments on VPD, crop production and facility HVAC design, “When the right VPD is targeted for a given crop, variables such as light source, nutrients, water, HVAC and dehumidification can be controlled to minimize operating costs while maximizing plant growth and health.”
The Dr. Greenhouse VPD Calculator is free to download in Apple’s App Store and Google Play Store.
The study found that oral consumption of CBD does not negatively impact the liver or cause male reproductive toxicity and drowsiness.
A recent study released by Validcare directly addresses the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) safety concerns regarding CBD's effects on the liver, testosterone levels and drowsiness.
The FDA's safety concerns state that CBD in self-dosing individuals could cause liver injury, male reproductive toxicity, or damage males' fertility, and increase the risk of sedation and drowsiness when mixed with alcohol or other drugs that slow brain activity.
The study, completed March 22, 2022, observed the effects of daily consumption of CBD on the liver, testosterone and daytime drowsiness. According to the abstract, the study included 1,061 adults ranging from 18-75 years old from across the U.S.
The adults were divided into two cohorts. Both cohorts followed the same methods and took CBD orally for a minimum of 30 days. The adults "were recruited from 17 individual CBD product companies in this decentralized, observational study and sent their standard CBD regimen from the company of their choice," the abstract states.
The first cohort of the study (cohort 1)—which was peer-reviewed and published in Cannabis and Cannabinoid Medicine last year—involved 839 individuals who took CBD produced by 12 companies. Cohort 2 added 222 individuals who took CBD from an additional five companies.
Cohort 1 used liver function as the primary endpoint. In addition to liver function, cohort 2 focused on testosterone levels and daytime drowsiness. The combined results of each cohort found that CBD "is not associated with an increased prevalence of LFT [liver function tests] elevation, testosterone deficiency, nor daytime drowsiness," according to the study.
The results suggest that CBD may help reduce testosterone deficiency in men, "which may be related to CBD reducing the prevalence of Type 2 diabetes in older individuals," the abstract states.
Daytime drowsiness was measured using the Stanford Sleepiness Scale (SSS), which measures sleepiness on a seven-point scale. The study found that the oral self-administration of CBD for 30 days caused significantly less drowsiness based on the SSS. It also found that it "significantly improves daily SSS in individuals who have difficulty with daytime sleepiness and rarely causes daytime drowsiness in those not having daytime drowsiness," the abstract states.
"The data in this study looks really good; it's highly significant, and the chances of it being wrong are very, very small," Robert Kaufmann, Ph.D., Validcare director of research and former professor of medicine at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, said in a press release from the U.S. Hemp Roundtable (USHR). "I am very hopeful that this data will allow the FDA to regulate these popular CBD products."
RELATED: Reflecting on 10 Years in the CBD Industry
"This study reaffirms the safety of Charlotte's Web hemp-derived CBD extracts and are proof of the hemp CBD industry working cooperatively to support rigorous scientific research to inform regulators, the FDA, and the U.S. Congress," said Tim Orr, Charlotte's Web senior vice president of innovation. "With 1,061 participants in two cohort studies, [the] industry stepped up and delivered the requested science for hemp CBD, again, by providing evidence outcomes in liver safety, drowsiness, testosterone impact and diabetes prevalence."
The advancements come after committee approvals of substitute bills that include automatic expungement for cannabis convictions.
Rhode Island is on the verge of becoming the 19th state to legalize adult-use cannabis as legislation is expected to receive floor consideration in each chamber of the state’s bicameral Legislature next week.
The momentum on reform comes after state Sen. Joshua Miller and Rep. Scott A. Slater—both Democrats—added a key amendment to their companion bills May 17.
RELTED: Rhode Island Senate, House Lawmakers Align on Cannabis Legalization; Votes Expected
The next day, Senate Judiciary Committee members voted, 9-1, to advance Senate Bill 2430 Substitute A, sponsored by Miller, and House Finance Committee members voted, 12-2, to pass House Bill 7593 Substitute A, sponsored by Slater. The identical bills—the Rhode Island Cannabis Act—now head to their respective chambers with full-body votes expected May 24.
Before the Senate Judiciary Committee vote on May 18, Miller stressed the significance of having both chambers on the same page.
“We are fortunate to not only to have such great staff but be in the position to have identical bills,” he said. “I’ve been doing this for several years, as all of you know, and this is the first year in which we’ve had collaborative and identical bills before both the House and the Senate.”
Slater told House Finance Committee members Wednesday that he’s been working toward adult-use cannabis legalization for 10 years now.
One addition made in the substitute versions that was added May 17 includes the automatic expungement for those with previous cannabis convictions.
Specifically, those with any prior civil violation, misdemeanor or felony conviction for possession of cannabis that would be decriminalized by the bill would receive expungement free of charge and without a hearing by July 1, 2024. And people who wish to receive expungement of their records earlier can petition the court to do so under the bill.
Sen. Ana B. Quezada, a member of the Judiciary Committee who also serves as the Deputy Senate Majority Whip, said Wednesday that the expungement revision was paramount to her support.
“One of the things I like about this bill is the part where so many people of color paid a very high price in the 80s, in the 90s, about selling marijuana, and they be in jail,” she said. “Now, at least they’re going to have expungement for those records. And that’s one of the things you asked me six years ago when I became a senator … you asked me if I supported marijuana. I said, ‘No.’ But seeing what I see today in our community, I think it’s the right thing to do.”
Remaining intact from the original version of the bill introduced March 1, the legislation aims to legalize the purchase and possession of up to 1 ounce of cannabis by adults 21 and older, who could possess up to 10 ounces in their personal residences and grow up to six plants (three mature) in their homes, according to the bill’s text.
In addition, the legislation’s proposed tax structure includes a 10% cannabis excise tax and a local 3% tax for municipalities where sales take place, in addition to the state’s current 7% sales tax.
Democratic Sen. Leonidas Raptakis cast the lone dissenting vote in the Judiciary Committee on Wednesday. He expressed concerns over impaired driving.
Meanwhile, in the House Finance Committee, Slater had the opportunity to speak and to vote on his sponsored bill as the first vice chair of that committee.
“The goal of the original bill we heard back in March was to legalize consumption and sale of cannabis for adults in a safe and orderly way,” he said. “As you know, it’s also been a big priority for me to protect the medical cannabis program and to address the concerns of social equity within the cannabis program.”
Retained in the March 1 version of the legislation, the Rhode Island Cannabis Act aims to reduce participation barriers for communities and individuals disproportionately affected by prohibition, including the use of licensing fees and penalties to fund assistance and grants for qualifying applicants.
In addition to the state’s nine licensed compassionate care centers, the legislation would allow for 24 new adult-use retail licenses, which would be distributed equally among six geographic zones. One retail license in each zone would be reserved for a social equity applicant and another in each zone for a cooperative applicant.
While the legislation provides for local control for city or town officials to adopt ordinances or bylaws that impose reasonable safeguards on the operations of cannabis establishments, or the ability to opt out from participating in the state’s program altogether, existing medical operators would be grandfathered in and allowed to continue their current operations.
The legislation also paves way for any forthcoming licensed adult-use retailers to launch commercial sales on Dec. 1, 2022.
With both the Senate Judiciary and House Finance committees moving the companion bills to their respective floors for full-chamber discussions May 24, Rhode Island is poised to join the likes of Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maine and Vermont in legalizing adult-use cannabis. New Hampshire is the only other New England state that has yet to do so.
The company announced that it has partnered with SonoAsh to make low-carbon green cement products using industrial hemp.
BrightMa Farms, a South Carolina-based minority-owned vertically integrated hemp company, is working to maximize hemp’s carbon-sequestering properties in its most recent partnership.
The company announced that it has partnered with SonoAsh Engineered Materials of Maryland, a processing engineering company, to make low-carbon green cement products using industrial hemp.
"This agreement represents the type of new thinking required to create generation reductions in upfront carbon emissions and further establishes SonoAsh as a strategically placed process innovation company," said Bruce Sifton, SonoAsh president. "No other upcycling, waste to value process demonstrates both a positive impact on the legacy environmental issues associated with waste coal ash and the new requirements for green building materials."
READ MORE: How BrightMa Farms is Striving to Create Opportunities in Hemp
And Harold Singletary, BrightMa Farms CEO, also expressed the company's excitement for the collaboration.
"BrightMa Farms is excited to enter into this collaboration program with SonoAsh as part of BrightMa's growing hemp cluster in South Carolina," he said. "Industrial hemp refinement from genetics to processing promises carbon negative plastics and raw materials for various vertical industry partners. A SonoAsh collaboration adds enhanced performance building products that support our work to reduce the planet's carbon emissions while building opportunities for rural and farming communities."
Kuo, founder of Caisson Studios, discusses its efforts in the cannabis retail space and its unique and cultural design approach in correlation with AAPI Heritage Month.
Alice Kuo has always had a passion for design.
After earning her undergraduate degree in accounting from the University of California, Riverside, she pursued a Master of Interior Architecture degree at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
Upon graduating from UCLA, she worked for an architectural firm for a few years and received hands-on experience and training—leading her to eventually open her practice, Caisson Studios.
Based in Los Angeles, Calif., Caisson Studios is an interior design company that specializes in residential, commercial and hospitality projects. In 2017, the company acquired its first cannabis-related design project.
"I had my first opportunity of working with a large cannabis group that was starting three [retail] stores," says Alice Kuo, Caisson Studios founder. "That was the beginning of getting into the retail [side] of the cannabis industry."
The Asian-American Pacific Islander (AAPI)- and woman-owned design firm has worked on roughly 25 cannabis-related design projects throughout California.
In this Q&A, Kuo discusses Caisson's cannabis retail design projects in California and the company's unique and cultural design approach in celebration of AAPI Heritage Month.
Andriana Ruscitto: Can you describe Caisson Studios' unique and cultural approach to design?
Alice Kuo: I think cannabis retail design is very similar to other retail stores, but [there is] even more regulation we have to follow. Just like any design for a commercial space, the most important thing is we want to understand the client's vision and who their target consumer is. Who are they selling it to? What's their vision? Brand identity? Demographic? What product do they offer? How do they sell? What's [their] sales strategy? [What's] their consumer volume? So, all of [that] is crucial. At the very beginning, we call it programming to understand those [elements]. Then, we provide some of our expertise by studying the site location and understanding the building codes and the site condition.
Then we move on to the aesthetic. So, architecture [and] form, what does it look like? … We bring those elements in by choosing the right material, fixtures, graphics and textures for the store. Then we incorporate the appropriate lighting and layout. Circulation is another thing that we focus on because that is functionality. It's not just fine art. At the end of the day, it has to look good, and they have to make money. I spend quite a lot of time on the layout and circulation to ensure that they can reduce wait time and see as many patients as possible. Of course, there's always new technology coming into play, and it's constantly changing, so we are also incorporating all of those elements into our design approach.
AK: We are working on three dispensaries with a group called Emjay. Emjay started as delivery-only, [but] we helped open its first flagship store in La Mesa, [Calif]. Since then, Emjay has another retail store under construction in Riverside, [Calif]. We are also under contract review [to build a store] in La Brea, Calif.
AR: What is the process like in working with clients?
AK: Some clients have a very clear understanding of exactly the aesthetic they want and what they're looking for. Some clients are very open. They come in without any branding or any ideas. So, if they have a strong vision, we help them execute it using a technical aspect. And if they don't, we help them work through the process of identifying a brand and then also understanding the neighborhood and looking at the existing site condition, and we take it from there.
AR: What are the biggest challenges of designing cannabis dispensaries in California's cannabis market?
AK: I think [there are] a couple of challenges. Number one is the [industry] is ever-changing. ... I know it has been a few years now, but there are always rules to keep up with. I think that's really important. ... For example, the rules keep changing about how you can display your retail products and the inventory in your retail space.
Products [in dispensaries] must be locked into a safe at the end of the day. So, for example, for a [dispensary with] lots of displays … how do we make sure that [they] can clear all the inventory at the end of the day … [but] also open up the store in a very efficient manner? Also, for example, how do you fulfill your orders to reduce wait time? … These things are constantly changing. [It's important] to be adaptable and have trial and error. Look at different [dispensary] case studies and see what works.
AR: What are some of Caisson Studio's most significant accomplishments that you're most proud of from the past year?
AK: We have been able to work with many dispensary owners and work on so many different types of unique stores. That has been very exciting, and we feel really grateful to be able to work with so many different retail stores. For the last year, Emjay has been one of our very exciting projects that we are working on, especially when it comes to branding their retail stores as well.
AR: What are some of the company's shorter- and longer-term goals?
AK: To bring more of our experience, work and expertise to more stores in California. The long-term goal will be to branch out to other states hopefully.
AR: What is some advice you would offer to new or even existing designers who are entering the cannabis design space, and how they can succeed?
AK: I think number one is to keep up with the law and regulation of the cannabis industry. The second would be to keep up with case studies on different dispensaries. …The aesthetic of the store affects revenue; it really does. I think that is something that a designer has to be very aware of because it's not just executing a beautiful design. If you don't understand the demographic and you design a store that is for the opposite of your targeted consumer when they come in, they feel uncomfortable in the space, and they're not coming back. … As far as designers, sometimes we focus too much on aesthetics, especially personal aesthetics. At the end of the day, we need to realize that you design for the public and your client.
Editor’s Note: This interview has been edited for style, length and clarity.
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