When tissue culture laboratories emerged in the 1970s, they quickly became the standard infrastructure for propagating tomatoes, corn, and dozens of other crops. Decades of scientific literature followed, refining formulas and SOPs that made the process reliable at scale. For cannabis, this body of knowledge does not exist, the consequences of the prohibition era. It’s a gap that companies like Microhemp, a tissue culture lab based in Italy, are now working to close. “Tissue culture labs have been around since the 70s,” says Marco Bianco, founder of Microhemp. “But when it comes to cannabis, this is a relatively new space.”

© Microhemp

Set to empty
Scientific failure has made the setup unimaginable. “Tissue culture has been known inside and out since the 70s. Around Cesena, where we are, there are many laboratories, but they work with traditional plants. Italy produces millions of plants in tissue culture every year, but the cloning formula of these plants is very well known to the scientific community. Because of the ban, there is not nearly as much for cannabis.” That’s why Marco says the value of Microhemp lies precisely in discovering the SOPs for tissue culture of cannabis. “We clean and preserve the genetics, and of course we replicate them.”

Before reaching that point, they had to go through the garage phase. That was 2018. “We started the first initial tests in the usual way. However, this could not work, everything became contaminated, which reinforced the belief that we had to create a sterile laboratory.” Thanks to a European grant, the Microhemp laboratory finally became a reality. “We built the lab inside two 12-meter containers. One has a growth chamber, and the other has a lab and a sterile growth chamber.” Notably, Microhemp did not buy off-the-shelf container farms, they acquired empty shipping containers and completely refurbished them to their specifications.

© Microhemp

Micropropagation of cannabis
This hands-on experience became the basis for one of the company’s secondary services: designing tissue culture laboratories and other facilities. But the core business remains micropropagation. “In micropropagation, every month, you triple the material.”

The method seems simple, but it is not. “We start with small plastic pots, with 7 nodes left to grow. We open the pot again, divide the plant into those 7 nodes again and move on to the last 3 pots. If you do this every month, you can produce a huge number of plants, it’s exponential. In a very short time, we build the line, which is millions of the same plants.” Achieving this requires careful planning at every stage. “The plant that I deliver to you today was taken from a sterile environment. To have that plant ready, we started two months before delivery, and before that there is at least two months of planning to reach the final clone. To deliver a plant to the customer, I decided that it would become a real plant four months before delivery. This creates challenges, because we have to be good at managing stocks, but this allows us to make traditional nurseries quite difficult. Our strength is in numbers, what really sets us apart is our cleanliness in GMP work when you do, the most important thing is to start with a plant that you can guarantee is not infected.

Synthetic seeds© Microhemp
Genetic conservation of microhemp can also take the form of synthetic seeds, a striking way of preserving genetics that keeps traits intact for the long term, and has a practical advantage unrelated to biology. “It’s a very convenient option from a purely logistical point of view,” explains Marco. “If a multinational has facilities in several countries and opens a new site in North Macedonia, synthetic seeds are the best way to move a specific genetic. Put the pot in your pocket,” he laughs.

The reality is more nuanced, as Marco is quick to acknowledge. Synthetic seeds cannot yet be germinated in rockwool, a separate laboratory is required on the recipient side. Microhemp has tested a middle solution: a container format that holds the synthetic seed and the grow room in the same container, but mechanically separated. The user drops the seed in the room to initiate the roots. “It wasn’t guaranteed enough. The seed was germinating with reasonable frequency, but not good enough,” says Marco. For now, the project is on hold while the company focuses on scaling up its core micropropagation and lab design services, which, as Marco says, is what a tissue culture lab actually does.

For more information:
Microhemp Srl
Via Giuseppe Verdi 131, 41019 Soliera (MO), Italy
+393351736178
(email protected)
microhemp.it

In what has become a challenging time for operators, BatchNav, a costing and operations system tailored specifically for cannabis cultivation and production companies, recently launched its integrated platform to provide growers and processors with end-to-end visibility into costs, workflows and inventories to increase profitability.

Built by growers, financial experts and technologists, BatchNav provides growers and processors with complete end-to-end transparency by integrating costs, operations, inventory and labor. The platform provides a unified database designed to increase margins, optimize processes and reduce guesswork.

© BatchNavOptimize margins with BatchNav’s cropping software. Capture labor, materials, and overhead to provide accurate batch-level COGS, determining actual costs and profitability.

“BatchNav gives growers a clear and practical way to measure profitability at every stage of production, including true cost and margin visibility at the individual strain level, while providing the financial transparency CFOs expect,” said co-founder Clark Charlton.

Key features include a task manager; Batch and strain tracking synchronized with Metrc at all stages from raw material to finished products; supply module with real-time tracking of raw materials; a job tracker; and a costing module that integrates labor, material, and overhead to determine real-time cost-of-goods clarity at every process stage.

Founded by Kate O’Connor Masse, Mike Masse and Clark Charlton, BatchNav launched at MJBizCon in December 2025 and is now working with operators in the US and tribal nations.

© BatchNavKate O’Connor Masse

“This platform started with growers frustrated by a lack of clear visibility into their true costs. BatchNav was created to give growers a more accurate and practical way to measure profitability at every stage of production,” said Charlton.

For more information:
BatchNav
Email: (email protected)
https://batchnav.com/

Idaho could see more than $100 million in medical marijuana sales and up to $28 million in new revenue for state coffers under a legalization measure activists are working to put on the November ballot, according to a new economic analysis released by the campaign.

The Natural Medicine Alliance of Idaho (NMAI) announced this last week collected enough signatures for an initiative to legalize medical cannabis To pass the statewide threshold for ballot qualification, it commissioned the firm Younger Associates to do two fiscal projections of the proposal, using Utah’s medical marijuana program as a model.

“Based on Utah’s participation trajectory, Idaho supports approximately 63,000 active patients and $108.5 million in annual retail sales by Year 6,” the analysis states.

Under the first revenue scenario, a 6 percent state sales tax would be applied to marijuana sales and there would also be a $100 annual patient registration fee, which would generate about $6.5 million in sales tax revenue and $6.3 million by the program’s sixth year.

The second revenue scenario includes the same patient registration cost and sales tax, but also adds an additional 14 percent fee collected at the point of sale. It would generate about $21.7 million a year in tax and fee revenue, in addition to about $6.3 million in annual patient card fees, to bring in $28 million a year from the state.

“Actual revenue will ultimately depend on the final program design and implementation decisions made by the State.” the report he says

In addition to the economic analysis, the NMAI also released a new short video this month saying the measure proposes “strictly regulated market access” for cannabis and treats patients “with dignity rather than fear or stigma.”

The video also features medical marijuana as an “alternative to the devastating effects of opioids” and the initiative “supports local jobs, Idaho agriculture and generates tax revenue while maintaining strong enforcement standards to prevent misuse.”

“This is not about recreation, it’s about care,” he said he says. “The law provides medical freedom to patients to consult with their physician about their health conditions and assert their right to make choices about their own care.”

But since it’s unclear how many signatures the campaign has collected so far and whether activists have met another requirement for petitions to be distributed regionally, NMAI continues to hold signature-gathering events across the state to expand its coalition of supporters ahead of the May 1 submission deadline.

Amanda Watson, communications manager for NMAI, told Marijuana Moment on Wednesday that organizers “feel very confident that we will qualify for the ballot in November.”

As of this week, NMAI has collected more than 73,000 total signatures — surpassing the statewide requirement of 70,725 for valid petitions — according to the campaign’s website.

To be certified on the ballot, the group must also submit the signatures of at least 6 percent of registered voters in at least 18 of the state’s 35 legislatures. Marihuana Moment reached out to NMAI for a status update on progress toward that goal, but a representative was not immediately available.

Meanwhile, groups of paid and volunteer applicants they are expanding across the state to high-traffic areas to collect signatures, and the NMAI website has a map showing where registered voters can go to sign.

The Idaho Medical Cannabis Act, introduced by NMAI last October, would provide patients with access to marijuana from a limited number of dispensaries and provide a regulatory framework for the market.

Here are the main provisions Idaho Medical Cannabis Law:

• Healthcare practitioners may recommend medical cannabis to patients with conditions including cancer, anxiety and acute pain.
• Medical marijuana patients or designated caregivers can purchase up to 113 grams of cannabis for smoking or 20 grams of THC extract for vaporization per month.
• The state would issue three vertically-integrated cannabis business licenses, and then potentially six licenses in total.
• Marijuana would be reclassified under state law, Title II.
• State and local law enforcement would be prohibited from assisting in drug enforcement activities related to the state’s illegal cannabis program.
• There would be anti-discrimination protections for those who use or sell marijuana in compliance with state laws, preventing adverse actions by employers, landlords and educational institutions.
• There does not seem to be any equity-based reform, nor will the initiative be given the opportunity to grow at home.

“We believe Idahoans deserve access to legal, compassionate and natural care right at home,” NMAI’s website states. “Our mission is to provide patients with a legal path to natural medicine to relieve suffering and restore dignity without the fear of addiction.”

“The Idaho Medical Cannabis Act is our first step. It creates a safe and strictly regulated medical program that allows qualified Idahoans to seek medical treatment for cannabis with a valid diagnosis from a health care provider.” he says. “It supports Idaho agriculture, generates tax revenue to reinvest locally and ensures patients can find natural relief.”

Last month, the campaign also released the results of a statewide poll shows that 83 percent of likely voters support the legalization of medical cannabisincluding 74% of Republicans, 95% of Democrats and 92% of independents.

When asked how they would vote if the current legalization of cannabis appears on the November ballot, 76% of respondents said “yes”. Of that cohort, 50 percent said they would “definitely” vote yes, while only 21 percent said they would vote “no.”

After introducing the medical cannabis initiative last year, a separate 2024 campaign, Kind Idaho, told supporters it would cancel its signature drive. ballot initiative to legalize the personal possession and cultivation of marijuana the adults

Pleasant Idaho previously put medical marijuana ballot measures before voters Both in the 2022 and 2024 elections, but the efforts were unsuccessful.

Meanwhile, this year voters will see a different type of proposal on the ballot: the constitutional amendment approved by the legislature to make it so. only members of the legislature can legalize marijuana or other controlled substances.

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It’s Marijuana Time tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelic and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters by pledging at least $25/month, you’ll get access to our interactive maps, charts, and audio calendars so you never miss a development.

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Lawmakers held a separate hearing last March to discuss it bill to legalize medical cannabisbut in the following months there has been no significant action on the matter.

Separately, it would be a bill from last year by Rep. Bruce Skaug (R). set a mandatory minimum fine of $420 for possession of cannabisremoving judges’ discretion to apply lower sentences. Skaug said the bill, which ultimately stalled in committee, would send a message that Idaho is tough on marijuana.

Members of the House of Representatives were also admitted bill to ban marijuana adsalthough the Senate later defeated the measure.

user photo Max Pixel.