In the past, the location of this medical cannabis company in The Netherlands used to be a secret and no cameras were allowed inside. This week, however, Bedrocan shared a look inside their facility for a Discovery Channel 'How Do They Do It' documentary. The company produces medicinal-grade cannabis under contract for the Dutch Ministry of Health. "We are the only company in the world that can supply standardized medicinal cannabis." See the video below for the full documentary, with English subtitles available.
Standardized cannabis
Tjalling Erkelens, Founder of Bedrocan, explains that all their varieties are of consistent composition and quality. "All of the plants originate from one seed that we picked in the 90s. From that one seed, we have been propagating the plants, which are all genetically exactly the same. If we then also give the plants the exact same treatment, we achieve our goal: a consistent production. It's all about control and understanding how the plants think and react. "
In order to guarantee the quality of the cannabis, Bedrocan has developed a new practice for cannabis cultivation, which is called GMCCP: Good Medicinal Cannabis Cultivation Practice. According to Bedrocan, GACP is not sufficient for cannabis intended for medicinal use, hence the need for a special practice for the cultivation of medicinal cannabis. Bedrocan, therefore, applies the strictest possible hygiene regulations for cultivation, and checks and validates all steps to ensure that the end product is free of pesticides, molds, and other contaminants. 
The cultivation process
During the vegetative stage, the plants are kept close together, benefiting from the microclimate. Once the plants grow larger, they get more space for themselves and eventually they move to the cell. Here, they are kept for eight weeks under extremely controlled conditions. During these eight weeks, the door of the cell stays closed and the plants grow big flowers. 
After those eight weeks, the plants get strictly checked, topped and weighed. "It's not about getting the maximum profit out of our production. It's about achieving the highest quality possibility in a consistent manner."
Next up is the drying process, which takes seven days. The plants get dried with cold air. "This does mean that the process takes a bit longer, but it ensures that the concentration of cannabinoids is higher." Now it is time for the product to be processed and packaged, ready to be shipped to the patient.
For more information:
Bedrocan
www.bedrocan.com
A look behind the scenes of Dutch medical cannabis grower Bedrocan