Cannabis News
CEA Awards handed out at Indoor Ag-Con
A new tradition in the CEA industry is the annual Gala Luncheon at Indoor Ag-Con, presenting the CEAs — Cultivating Excellence Awards. This year, Jiffy won the Product Innovation award for its gel, and Bright Farms won the Operational Excellence award. The Trainblazer Award was presented to Dr. Gene Fiacomelli, who has dedicated much of his professional and personal life to furthering the cause of growers.
© Eelkje Pulley | MMJDaily.com
© Eelkje Pulley | MMJDaily.com
“These teams are setting the pace for controlled environment agriculture while pushing the boundaries in innovation, operations and product development while proving what’s possible in our industry right now,” said organizers Indoor Ag-Con and Inside Grower Magazine.
The awards program is designed to recognize and celebrate excellence, innovation and leadership in the controlled environment agriculture (CEA) sector, highlighting achievements in three categories: Operational Excellence, Product Innovation and a special Trailblazer Award.
© Eelkje Pulley | MMJDaily.com
Voltiris and Zayndu were nominated for the Product Innovation Award, but Jiffy won for Jiffy Gel, a biodegradable gel-based substrate specifically designed for controlled environment agriculture (CEA).
© Eelkje Pulley | MMJDaily.com
The nominees for the Operational Excellence Award were haven greens and Planet Farms, and Bright Farms ended up winning. In their words: “BrightFarms measures its success through operational expansion and measurable business results.”
© Eelkje Pulley | MMJDaily.com
For the Trailblazer award, there were no nominees, but there was a winner. “In our industry there are those who explore the unexplored, ask the questions that no one else asks and push the boundaries of what is possible,” said the organizers. “The Trailblazer Award recognizes those who are not afraid to challenge the status quo and push research and CEA application into new areas.” And that’s Dr. Gene Fiacomelli. Since the beginning of the 80s, his research interests include the research, design, development and applications of controlled environment plant production systems (greenhouse and growth chamber): crop production systems, nutrient supply systems, environmental control, mechanization and labor productivity.
Cannabis News
A steel roof transforms the silo into a solid building instead of a container with a cover on it
The future of steel roofs in water silos
The demand for steel roofs on water silos in the Netherlands is increasing rapidly. According to Bas van der Elst of silo producer Hendic, this development reflects a structural change in the market rather than a temporary trend.
“Growers are increasingly choosing the safety of steel over traditional covers,” he says. “This is largely driven by safety concerns, but also by more stringent requirements from insurers and authorities.”
Van der Elst explains that structural reliability is a key factor behind the growing interest. “It’s about the reliability of the construction. A steel roof can withstand significant snow and wind loads, much more than a traditional roof. However, certification is often the deciding factor. At Hendic, we include the steel roof in the structural calculations and the CE certification of the entire silo. This is essential compared to PVC roofs.”
© Hendic
Why has CE certification become so important?
The importance of CE certification has increased, especially in export markets. “In Germany and other countries, many municipalities will not issue a permit without a structural calculation that complies with local regulations,” explains Van der Elst. “Insurers are also increasingly requiring the silo to be assessed and insured as a single unit. The steel roof effectively turns the silo into a solid building, rather than a basin with a sheet on top. This provides producers with legal certainty and operational peace of mind.”
Is safety a factor in addition to construction?
In addition to structural resistance, local security plays an important role. “With a steel cover, a silo is completely enclosed. We equip them with a lockable access gate, so the silo can literally be locked. Compared to a tented cover, it’s a significant improvement in yard security.”
© Hendic
Does this mean the end of the popular PVC covers?
According to Van der Elst, steel roofs do not mean the end of PVC-based systems. “The various systems we offer, from simple tension roofs to floating roofs and domes, have proven their worth and remain highly functional in most situations. However, for producers dealing with strict building regulations or extreme weather conditions, steel roofs offer the greatest added value today.”
© Hendic (gn)
For more information:
Bas van der Elst
Hendic bv
(email protected)
https://www.hendic.nl/
Cannabis News
Florida Lawmakers Pass Bill To Provide Discounted Medical Marijuana Cards For Military Veterans
The Florida House of Representatives has overwhelmingly passed a bill to reduce the fee for military veterans to obtain medical marijuana registry identification cards.
The measure passed by Reps. Susan Valdés (R) and Michelle Salzman (R) unanimously on Wednesday in a 113-0 vote. The proposal comes after clearing three House panels and separate Senate legislation to reduce the cost of cannabis for veterans is also moving forward.
If enacted into law, HB 887 would require honorably discharged veterans to pay $15 to obtain a medical cannabis card, down from the current $75 rate for most eligible patients.
The $15 charge will also apply to replacement cards as well as annual renewals.
To receive the reduced fee, veterans must provide the state Department of Health (DOH) with a copy of the discharge form, a US Veterans Affairs (VA) identification card, or a Florida driver’s license with a “veteran designation.”
The law will come into effect on July 1 of this year.
“Medical cannabis has shown promise in relieving symptoms commonly experienced by military veterans, such as managing chronic pain, mitigating the effects of PTSD, improving sleep and reducing opioid addiction,” Valdés said on the House floor. “This bill greatly reduces veterans’ financial barriers to accessing medical marijuana, their health solution of choice.”
“Reducing the cost of access is not only a symbolic gesture to the veterans who serve us, it directly removes the often very high cost barrier that prevents already underserved veterans from participating in this program, and this is one way to show our veterans how grateful we are by turning that slate green,” he said. he saidas before notify By Florida Politics.
According to A invoice study, the reform “would have an unspecified negative fiscal impact on the DOH.” While there are currently 931,000 registered medical marijuana patients in Florida, “the number of veterans with an active medical marijuana use registry identification card is unknown” and thus “the amount of revenue reduction is unknown.”
That said, the analysis says the policy change “would have a positive fiscal impact on veterans who will see a $60 reduction in the cost of ID cards under the bill.”
Earlier this month, the Senate Health Policy Committee advanced a bill by Sen. Alexis Calatayud that would reduce medical cannabis registration fees for veterans to $15 and implement other reforms to expand access to medical marijuana.
Under that amended proposal, a physician would recommend a 70-day supply limit for cannabis, or a 35-day supply limit for marijuana smoking products for 10 supply limits. Under current law, they can recommend up to three 70-day supply limits for non-smoking cannabis and six 35-day supply limits for smoking marijuana.
The SB 1032 bill would also require doctors to evaluate patients to qualify for medical marijuana every 52 weeks, rather than the legal requirement of evaluations every 30 weeks.
Here’s an overview of some of the pending Florida marijuana bills:
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Meanwhile, a Florida campaign seeking to put marijuana legalization on the ballot faces complications as the status of the 2026 signature drive remains in dispute. Lawyers are now asking the state Supreme Court to overturn the officials’ decision to quash the tens of thousands of applications submitted.
A new survey released this week shows that a A majority of Florida voters support the legalization of cannabis.
Max Jackson’s photo.
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New York State’s Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) has recalled several cannabis products after finding that reported results from a testing laboratory were “unreliable.”
OCM says it has found a total of 54 product lots that tested false positive for Aspergillus, the mold that causes disease. According to OCM, another batch of product had incorrect results for the heavy metal cadmium.
“When test results are inaccurate or unclear, product safety and, in turn, the safety of New York State consumers cannot be guaranteed,” said OCM Executive Deputy Director of Licensing, Enforcement and Laboratories Stephen Geskey. “It’s not a risk OCM is willing to take.”
This information comes from an audit of inspections and records conducted by Keystone State Testing New York between December 2025 and January 2026. According to OCM, there have been no reports of the effects of consuming any of the products.
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