“We use an aeroponics system with four tiers. While it might have been tricky to get the hang of using aeroponics at first, we are now left with perfect control and beautiful plants,” say Jonathan Bossé and Francis Descôteaux, Managers and Co-Founders of SUMO Cannabis. The Canadian cannabis company got licensed early this year and is now in production at their indoor facility in Trois-Rivières (Quebec). Jonathan and Francis explain that their craft cultivation process is going to give them the differentiation necessary to survive in the Canadian market. “Especially here in Quebec, the regulations are very strict, making it a challenging market for growers.” 
Benefits of aeroponics
SUMO Cannabis uses an aeroponics system from AEssenseGrows that has four tiers. “During our initial research, we came across the many benefits of using aeroponics. Now that we are in production, we are very happy that we made that decision. The plants love it, they grow fast, and the quality is excellent,” explain Jonathan and Francis. “One of the other benefits of the roots being free is that we can do a really good, fast flush for the nutrients. As a result, we are left with a product that will not smell or taste like any nutrients.”
According to Jonathan and Francis, it took some time to understand the aeroponics technology, and they had to be very vigilant. “It’s tricky because we have to be very tight on the recipe that we use. Yet after some finetuning and fully understanding the system, we are now reaping the benefits. For the first two batches, we have had perfect control, and the plants are beautiful and healthy.”
The Canadian market
“We want to focus on quality, not quantity. Therefore, we are managing our expansion slowly, making sure that an excellent product is the number one priority.” The company bought a 30,000 square feet facility but is not yet using it to its full potential. For now, they are using two flowering rooms, while they have the space to expand to eight. “We chose the facility because it is 34 feet high, giving us lots of space to grow vertically.”
Jonathan and Francis explain that the initial dream was to have a smaller company serving their local community with cannabis. “Unfortunately, the Canadian cannabis market does not allow for such small companies to successfully exist. You have to be big to make it, as there is too much money and organization involved. Still, we want to take our time to grow the company slowly, as we think there is a lot of place in the market for a better quality product. That’s why we are bringing craft quality cannabis to the table, making our company distinctive.”
Still, it is not an easy feat to enter the Quebec cannabis market, according to Jonathan and Francis. “There is not much place for marketing, so we hope that what we can do will be enough to stand out. Moreover, we are not allowed to sell cannabis of over 30% THC, and consumers have to be at least 21. While cannabis is federally legal in Canada, the regulations are different in each province, and Quebec is definitely a strict market.”
SUMO Cannabis is well on its way to start their sales in the next few months. “The market is currently asking for high-THC cannabis, and our aeroponics system helps us to achieve that. However, we are definitely looking forward to consumers becoming more familiar with terpenes, as it’s not just all about THC to get good results from the product. For now, we focus on high-THC strains that work well in aeroponics. We are very proud of the quality of our product and are excited for consumers to experience them.”
For more information:
SUMO Cannabis
www.sumocannabis.com