Missouri Cann Crush seeks to cultivate academic industry involvement
Cultivation facility applicant Mo Cann Crush is hoping to partner with academia to push the limits of cannabis cultivation.
Warrick Wadman of Mo Cann Crush told Greenway Magazine that their central location is an asset, given the proximity to mid-Missouri-located universities.
“Ideally, what I would like to see happen is a partnership with academia to bring the brightest minds together on this plant and see how far we can push the limits,” Wadman said. “You need academia to do the difficult and intense studying and business to drive the best product to market at the most competitive price. I don’t think anyone knows really what this path looks like yet.”
Location and Wadman’s facility knowledge are what he hopes makes his cultivation application stand out among hundreds vying for the 84 first-round cultivation licenses available.
“I do know that within 10 miles of where I live, there are probably some of the best and brightest minds in the world that completely understand those subjects and my experience would tell me to reach out to those masters and create opportunities for them as a rising tide lifts all boats,” Wadman said. “I came to the conclusion that I think I have a good shot at putting all of this together and making a compelling case. I also saw it as a monstrous challenge coming from someone with meager means, potential technology disruptor and at the end of the day, someone is going to be awarded those licenses, so why not me?”
Wadman himself is inspired by the palliative qualities of cannabis, having had “family members go through horrible diseases and death. This may not cure them, but maybe it could have provided some relief and made their transition easier.”
The Mo Cann Crush team seeks to cultivate and sell flower that customers demand and request by prioritizing consistency and compliance. Wadman believes truthfulness lend further credence to the applicant’s desire to meet the end-users’ demands and wants.
Wadman sees an exceptional outlook for the industry.
“Patient counts are going to exceed the predicted levels as reported in the University of Missouri report,” he said. “I believe that the method in which DHSS has approached the licensing process will trickle down into the operations of the facilities. Meaning that I think DHSS has done a really good job of creating a fair and equitable program and the applicants that receive licenses will be of a higher caliber and bring a lot of strength and notoriety to the industry.”
Like many, federal legislation is something Wadman is monitoring as he looks towards the future of cannabis.
“There is some concern that the mood in Washington could be fickle which could have a huge impact on the industry,” Wadman said. “Massive oversupply could be a concern as well. Another concern is this current issue with the vape units and how the industry can address these safety concerns – that could be a path where the feds come in and shut it down if it becomes a significant risk. The industry is highly regulated, but it would seem it’s very self-regulated as well because of the separation of state and federal policies. The hope that I have is that throughout the next 5 or 10 years, the reliance on opioids dwindles and that there are strains created or optimized that in fact do cure or prevent conditions as measured by success rates in the ’80s or ’90s.
Wadman said their group has faced many of the same challenges that trend in industry discussion, ranging from funding to experience.
“No man is an island and you need to find the right resources,” Wadman said. “It’s not like this hasn’t been done before and I don’t view myself as a trailblazer. You eliminate the excuses and figure out why you are really doing this and use that passion to push on.”