Overview of Operations & Expansion
We all know the drill by now – no large gatherings, social distancing, travel restrictions, store, restaurant and bars closed. Business and commerce have ground to a slow crawl for the vast majority of the population. It’s almost impossible to not see daily coronavirus (COVID-19) updates everywhere you look – the news, social media, company websites, local and community.
The focus for Opulent during these trying times, has been on operations. Our mission is to continually look for ways to become better. Becoming better is imbedded in the culture at Opulent and as a result every aspect of operations have grown by leaps and bounds in the last year.
Adapt & Overcome:
Adapting new and better ways to grow is always the name of the game. That is, until you find that you have the best mouse trap and there is no reason to modify any further. In the game of hemp, we have adapted a lot over the last couple of years. One of the largest adaptations learned this year, is that we can grow in very high density of plants in the field and achieve high levels of cannabinoids. This is significant because it goes against the dogma of CBD hemp growers everywhere.
In 2019 Opulent refined its growing process to over 435 acres. We started out planting lower seed quotas and by the end of the year we were up to a much larger seed per acre count. We found that the performance and results of the plants are extremely similar regardless of how dense we plant. Conversely, the denser we planted, the more costly our sexing and weeding labor became. In a calculated measure to save money in farming labor, we decided to halt pulling the male plants in the field. Throughout the entire year, we have routinely measured the medicine content of our crop at all stages of growth. When we stopped sexing the plants, we found our results to be nearly identical. Additionally, we ended up with multiple market ready products, as discussed below.
What is hemp?
A variety of Cannabis sativa, hemp is a dioecious plant, which means it can be separated into male and female plants. These plants have served a wide variety of purposes for more than 10,000 years: for fiber (from the plant’s stems), protein (from seeds), and oils and Cannabinoid portions (from the leaves and flowers). Hemp fibers can be used to make items including paper, clothing, furnishing fabric, rope, and building materials. Hemp fibers can be used to make items including paper, clothing, furnishing fabric, rope, and building materials. The whole hemp plant, from stalk to seed, can also be used to make fuel and feedstock. For more specific applications, hemp can be divided into four categories:
Cannabinoids are naturally occurring compounds found in the Cannabis sativa plant. Of over 480 different compounds present in the plant, only around 66 are termed cannabinoids. The most well-known among these compounds is the delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC), which is the main psychoactive ingredient in cannabis. Cannabidiol (CBD) is another important component, which makes up about 40% of the plant resin extract. Benefits of Cannabinoids. Cannabis contains CBD which is a chemical that impacts the brain, making it function better without giving it a high along with THC which has pain relieving properties. Both substances can be extracted and enhanced for use through short path distillation.
The cannabinoids are separated into the following subclasses:
· Cannabigerols (CBG)
· Cannabichromenes (CBC)
· Cannabidiol (CBD)
· Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)
· Cannabinol (CBN)
· Cannabinodiol (CBDL)
· Cannabicyclol (CBL)
· Cannabielsoin (CBE)
· Cannabitriol (CBT)
Potential Health benefits of cannabis:
Sources: Forbes.com, health.harvard.edu, healthline.com and many more.
· Relief of chronic pain: There are hundreds of chemical compounds in cannabis, many of which are cannabinoids. Cannabinoids have been linked to providing relief of chronic pain due to their chemical makeup. Which is why cannabis’ by-product such as medical cannabis is commonly used for chronic pain relief.
· Help lose weight: If you look around, you will notice that the avid cannabis user is usually not overweight. That is because cannabis is linked to aiding your body in regulating insulin while managing caloric intake efficiently and has appetite supressing properties.
· Regulate and prevent diabetes: With its impact on insulin, it only makes sense that cannabis can help regulate and prevent diabetes. Research conducted by the American Alliance for Medical Cannabis (AAMC) has linked cannabis to stabilize blood sugars, lower blood pressure, and improve blood circulation.
· Fight cancer: One of the biggest medical benefits of cannabis is its link to fighting cancer. There is a good amount of evidence that shows cannabinoids can help fight cancer or at least certain types of it.
· Helps treat depression: Depression is fairly widespread without most people even knowing they have it. The endocannabinoid compounds in cannabis can help in stabilising moods which can ease depression.
· Shows promise in autism treatment: Cannabis is known to calm users down and control their mood. It can help children with autism that experience frequent violent mood swings control it.
· Regulate seizures: Research conducted on CBD has shown that it can help control seizures. There are ongoing studies to determine the effect cannabis has on individuals with epilepsy.
· Mend bones: Cannabidiol has been linked to helping heal broken bones, quickening the process. According to Bone Research Laboratory in Tel Aviv, it also helps strengthen the bone in the process of healing. This makes it tougher for the bone to break in the future.
· Helps with ADHD/ADD: Individuals with ADHD and ADD have trouble focusing on tasks at hand. They tend to have problems with cognitive performance and concentration. Cannabis has shown promise in promoting focus and helping individuals with ADHD/ADD. It is also considered a safer alternative to Adderall and Ritalin.
· Treatment for glaucoma: Glaucoma leads to additional pressure on the eyeball which is painful for individuals with the disorder. Cannabis can help reduce the pressure applied on the eyeball providing some temporary relief to individuals with glaucoma.
· Alleviate anxiety: While Cannabis is commonly known to cause anxiety, there is a way around that. Taken in monitored dosage and in the proper way, cannabis can help alleviate anxiety and calm users down.
· Slow development of Alzheimer’s disease: Alzheimer’s disease is one of many that is caused by cognitive degeneration. As we age, cognitive degeneration is almost unavoidable. Cannabis’s endocannabinoid contains anti-inflammatories that fight the brain inflammation that leads to Alzheimer’s disease.
· Deal with pain linked to arthritis: Cannabis is now commonly found as creams and balms which are used by individuals that have arthritis. Both THC and CBD help sufferers deal with the pain.
· Helps with PTSD symptoms: PTSD doesn’t just affect veterans but any individual that goes through a trauma. As cannabis is legalised the impact it has on helping treat individuals with PTSD is being studied. Cannabis helps control the fight or flight response, preventing it from going into overdrive.
· Helps provide relief to individuals with multiple sclerosis: Multiple sclerosis can be painful, and cannabis is known to provide relief for it. Multiple sclerosis leads to painful muscle contractions and cannabis can help reduce that pain.
· Reduces side effects linked to hepatitis C and increase the effectiveness of treatment: The treatment for hepatitis C has numerous side effects that include nausea, fatigue, depression, and muscle aches. These can last for months for some hepatitis C sufferers. Cannabis can help reduce the side effects caused by the treatment while making it more effective at the same time.
· Treats inflammatory bowel diseases: Individuals with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis can find some relief with the use of cannabis. THC and cannabidiol are known to help enhance immune response while also interact with cells that play a vital role in the functioning of the gut. Cannabis helps block off bacteria and other compounds that cause inflammation in the intestines.
· Helps with tremors associated with Parkinson’s disease: For those that have Parkinson’s disease cannabis can help reduce tremors and pain while also helping promote sleep. It has also shown to improve motor skills in patients.
· Helps with alcoholism: Another one of the many health benefits of cannabis is that there is no doubt cannabis is much safer than alcohol. While it may not be 100% risk-free, it can be a smarter way to curb alcoholism by substituting it with cannabis.
Other uses or application:
Food:
Hemp seeds can be eaten raw, ground into hemp meal, sprouted or made into dried sprout powder. Hemp seeds can also be made into a liquid and used for baking or for beverages such as hemp milk and tisanes.Hemp oil is cold-pressed from the seed and is high in unsaturated fatty acids. The leaves of the hemp plant, while not as nutritional as the seeds, are edible and can be consumed raw as leafy vegetables in salads, and pressed to make juice.
A 100-gram portion of hulled hemp seeds supplies 586 calories. They contain 5% water, 5% carbohydrates, 49% total fat, and 31% protein. Hemp seeds are notable in providing 64% of the Daily Value (DV) of protein per 100-gram serving. Hemp seeds are a rich source of dietary fiber (20% DV), B vitamins, and the dietary minerals manganese (362% DV), phosphorus (236% DV), magnesium (197% DV), zinc (104% DV), and iron (61% DV). About 73% of the energy in hempseed is in the form of fats and essential fatty acids, mainly polyunsaturated fatty acids, linoleic, oleic, and alpha-linolenic acids. The ratio of the 38.100 grams of polyunsaturated fats per 100 grams is 9.301 grams of omega?3 to 28.698 grams of omega?6. Typically, the portion suggested on packages for an adult is 30 grams, approximately three tablespoons.
Fiber:
Hemp fiber has been used extensively throughout history, with production climaxing soon after being introduced to the New World. For centuries, items ranging from rope, to fabrics, to industrial materials were made from hemp fiber. Hemp was also commonly used to make sail canvas. The word "canvas" is derived from the word cannabis. Pure hemp has a texture similar to linen. Because of its versatility for use in a variety of products, today hemp is used in a number of consumer goods, including clothing, shoes, accessories, dog collars, and home wares. For clothing, in some instances, hemp is mixed with lyocell.
Building Material
Plastic and composite materials
Paper
Hemp rope
Animal beading/feed
Weed control
Biofuels
Growing Hemp:
Generations ago, hemp was a dominant crop on the American landscape. This hardy and renewable resource (one of the earliest domesticated plants known, with roots dating back to the Neolothic Age in China) was refined for various industrial applications, including paper, textiles, and cordage. Over time, the use of hemp has evolved into an ever expanding variety of products and applications, including health foods, body care, clothing, construction materials, biofuels, plastic composites and more (according to one source, more than 25,000 products can be made from hemp)
Growing Options:
Firstly, understand that plant rate and row width are fairly standardized across all market grow platforms. Seeding rate is specific to each variety, and this information should be sought from the supplier. Industrial hemp is normally planted using a standard grain drill. Both grain/seed and fiber hemp is typically planted in 6-7-in. rows, using every run of the drill. Hemp planted for cannabinoid production is typically set using transplanting equipment.
Growing Hemp for Oil/Seed:
As per other seed crops, plants are direct seeded at a rate of approximately 25-40 lb/acre. There are approximately 27,000 seeds per pound. Competition between plants is minimized to produce the highest quality seed and oil. For grain production, desired final plant population is around 10-15 plants/sq. ft.
Growing Hemp for Fiber:
Fiber crops are planted at a rate of approximately 40-80 lbs per acre. This could increase if germination is low or seeds are large. This high density is needed to produce higher quality primary bast fibers, as opposed to core fibers. The bast fiber content increases with plant density. It is important to recognize that difficulties may also result from plant competition. Final stand density should be approximately 30-35 plants per square foot for fiber.
Growing Hemp for Cannabinoids:
Densities are typically measured as plants per acre. This can range from 1,000 plants per acre up to 4,400 plants per acre depending on the production model. Most growers planting for cannabinoids have transplanted seedlings from feminized seeds, or clones cut from mother plants.
The Opulent Method:
Opulent’s approach to growing hemp utilizes a hybrid model. We combine Cannabinoid grow methods and densely populate our fields as done when growing for seeds. Seeds are planted using a standard grain drill. This allows us to gain a well-rounded crop, maximizing production for all aspects of the plant. This opens access to markets that we would otherwise have to specialty grow for as mentioned above, i.e. Oil/Seed. Crops are planted at a rate of approximately 4 lbs (or 100,000 seeds/plants) per acre. This allows us to maximize all of the traits of the above methods in one crop.
It should be mentioned that we have incorporated methods of Weed Suppression as well. When hemp is planted on good draining, fertile loam with appropriate temperature and moisture conditions, seeds will germinate quickly and reach 12 inches in 3-4 weeks from planting. At this stage it will give 90% ground shade and suppress the growth of weeds by shading. Rapidly growing hemp at a density of approximately 20 plants/sq ft, will suppress nearly all weed growth and save Opulent money.
“3-in-1”:
Cannabinoids:
Values of cannabinoids vary depending upon applications. Values are as high as $2500.00 USD to as low as $250.00 USD per kilo of finished or semi-finished goods. One acre planted with Opulent’s Hybrid model can achieve conservatively 500 kilos of semi-finished goods per acre.
Seeds:
Opulent’s Hybrid model leaves the males plants in the field. Each acre will conservatively produce 250 imperial pounds of seed per acre. With a value as high as $5.00 USD to as low as $1.00 USD. Opulent’s method allows Mother Nature to do what she does best and propagate. Providing seeds for future crop expansion, as well as provide enough seed to feed people, animals, or harvest the oils from within equates to greater profitability and ability to meet the needs of the market.
Fiber:
Fiber is a commodity and fluctuates somewhat year by year. Each acre will produce conservatively 75,000 imperial pounds of long fiber material, with a value hovering around $0.59 USD per pound. Fibers can be used for clothing, textiles, inclination and hempcrete to name just a few. Over time, Opulent has developed an aptitude for navigating and standardizing the hemp industry. With Opulent methods developed and proven, we demonstrate agility and successfully apply this to the needs of the hemp industry.
What is happening in 2020:
We are growing in TEXAS!!
Live Opulent has stretched and extended its roots into the Midwest. We are now successfully farming 486 acres of high-grade CBD hemp in Lubbock Texas the North West Texas region. Through two separate contracts we have secured four overhead pivot irrigated plots. two of those plots consist of 250 acres that are certified organic. On contract number three we have a 13.5-acre Cherry Wine genetics seed grow in Stratford, Texas.
Colorado Greenhouse Ops
On July 31st the Opulent team descended upon the Colorado Greenhouse Facility. The goal was to reframe the trusses on two of the greenhouses in order to open up space for more available planting sqft. By Aug 1stthe two greenhouses were reframed. We also tore down the 3rd greenhouse due to zoning requirements. On Aug 2nd we planted about 2/3 of a lb of the AutoPilot 2 seeds within the two greenhouses. On Aug 9th I verified an excellent germ rate. All of the seeds had not popped at that point and I had to return to Lubbock. I will report back on a germ rate on the 19th of August. There are 2,500 seeds remaining of the Auto Pilot 2 genetic.
Continue to grow in Arizona
Opulent has continued its relationships with farmers in Arizona US. Planting additional acreage after the highest heat of the summer passes.
Retail:
Yes, it is true! Opulent officially has its own retail products. Starting with two SKUs, 1,500 and 750 milligram soft gels. Throughout the last two quarters of 2020, Opulent will be releasing up to seven additional SKUs. Please see www.theopulentinc.com or www.botanicwellness.com.au for additional information and updates.
As we continue through the last two quarters of 2020, we are reminded of a quote from Henry Ford, “When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the aircraft takes off against the wind, not with it”. While I share in the frustration of scaling back on everyday activities or canceling long anticipated trips and events, at Opulent operations are business as usual. The speedbumps we have encountered in 2020 are blips in the wrinkles of time and “this too shall pass”. From all of us at Live Opulent Inc.
About the Author: Donald (The Don) Gritten Jr., is a Chief Executive Officer CEO, Director, Veteran, tax professional, and business consultant. Passionate about personal development and business advancement, his background in financial services includes tax structure and defense, real estate, financial development, asset protection, investor relations, and global business development.
Donald "The Don" Gritten
Executive Director/CEO
TheOpulentinc.com
Botanicwellnes.com.au