With the Danish government now in the process of making the cannabis scheme permanent, the cannabis industry in the country is poised to gain momentum. "For the whole industry, and for me included obviously, it's really promising," says Mads Ulrik Pedersen, founder of Nordic Supreme. "They said they are looking at regulations, generally speaking, and trying to make it easier to do business here. I know they are examining every aspect of the cannabis industry, so I expect something will happen in my area of this space as well."
That area is, indeed, the breeding space. Nordic Supreme is a cannabis breeder that has been working on new genetics and F1 hybrid seeds for the medical market, and some novelties are finally going to hit the market at the turn of the year. "Over the past five years, we have been working on a breeding program, and finally, we have good products coming out," says Mads. "We've got new auto-flower varieties coming online, as well as F1 varieties."
Benefits of F1 hybrids
F1 hybrid seeds are quite a novelty for the industry, and they are bound to bring significant changes for cannabis growers. "Over the last months, we have received considerable interest from different parties. There's a lot of excitement in the market. Medical cannabis growers are looking forward to having stable seed genetics to grow, as that would eliminate the necessity of mother plants." Without mother plants, those mother rooms can be repurposed for cultivation, maximizing canopy space.
On top of that, F1 hybrid seeds could potentially mitigate the risk of encountering hop latent viroid in clones or seeds. "There are a lot of small clone producers," Mads says. "Oftentimes, many of those varieties are not clean and are really unstable. Not long ago, I was contacted by a grower who was struggling with hop latent viroid. This is an increasing issue in the industry. When you are dealing with razor-thin margins, you don't have the luxury of a few underperforming plants. When they are infected, they become less resistant to fungi and more susceptible to other viruses." This is why sourcing starting material from trusted suppliers is of the utmost importance.
Why autoflowers
Speaking of razor-thin margins, Mads highlights how crucial it is for growers to be fast with their crops. "That is why we bred auto-flower plants," he says. "They grow much faster, and you can even add more light to achieve an even quicker crop cycle."
Auto-flower varieties, however, haven't always been the first choice for growers. Mads believes that will change. "The issue with auto-flowers is that their THC levels can be quite low, with a subpar terpene profile. This is a significant challenge in a market that is primarily driven by THC and terpene content. We worked hard over the past few years to improve the THC levels and terpene profiles. When combined with their faster growth, our auto-flowers are perfect for medical cannabis growers."
Given the often substandard quality of cannabis in Europe, Mads believes it's time for EU growers to demonstrate the high quality of locally grown cannabis. "Because there's a constant need for medical cannabis supply, sometimes lower-quality flowers get sourced, which is unfortunate when you consider how many serious growers are doing a great job. With our new varieties slated for release in the first quarter of 2025, we are confident in fostering a higher-quality local medical cannabis industry."
For more information:
Nordic Supreme
[email protected]
www.nordic-supreme.com