The UK cannabis market has grown steadily over the past five years, although not always in the way operators had hoped. New brands and imported products have driven much of the expansion, while domestic cultivation has slowed. Alexander Mountain has seen this from the inside long before most people in the industry knew it existed. “I’ve been waiting for this since 2009,” says the founder of growing consultancy Trichome Solutions.

Regulations, compliance, EU-GMP requirements, all of which have made getting a facility off the ground a multi-year exercise. “I’ve worked with organizations and seen firsthand that it takes three, four, even five years to get going,” says Alexander. “It’s a tough market to break into in the UK, which in itself slows down the overall maturation.” The last six months, however, have brought about a change. “There are now clear goals and programs for business. An almost militant approach to protocols. It’s starting to feel like the rest of the EU and Canada.”

© Trichome Solutions

Capitalization and cultivation
Early investment in cannabis in the UK came largely from private capital, and the gap between capitalization and cultivation know-how cost many operators dearly. Consultants were brought in to design and build the facilities, but rarely stayed to operate them. The result was a facility that had to be rebuilt almost as soon as it opened. “A lot of adjustments, changes in workflows, logistical expansion,” says Alexander. “This, of course, requires more capital. This delays profitability and, in some cases, leads to employee burnout.” The model he believes in is the owner-operator structure that has worked in markets such as the US, Canada and Thailand.

In terms of cultivation, genetic selection and post-harvest are where Alexander gives most of his attention. Seasonal changes in the UK favor indoor parameters where possible, although low-light greenhouses have worked for some operators with adequate supplementary lighting. Getting the right genetics for the specific market drives early success and patient retention. Post-harvest, however, he believes the sector is constantly underestimating. “I focus a lot on preserving the plant material and maintaining its chemical profile, particularly cannabinoids, terpenes and volatile sulfur,” he says. “Even simple things, like having enough space to dry properly, seem like common sense. But unless you’ve actually done it, you don’t always realize how important those details are to the quality of the final product.”

UK cannabis demand
Patient demand in the UK has been shaped by the equity market, and licensed operators are working to close this gap. The dynamics here are different from other markets. In Germany and Canada, THC content drives purchasing decisions. In the UK, Alexander is seeing more focus on taste, aromas and the overall experience. “With the amount of choices coming in through imports, people are finding their own strains and becoming more selective,” he says. Closing this gap, in his opinion, involves the farmers as much as the prescribers. “Patient education and support should come from doctors. Producers should teach them about their products. I think growers should invite prescribers more often.”

Over the next three to five years, Alexander expects reliance on imports to ease as domestic supply chains develop and the market stabilizes. He says that there will be operators who come out from the other side, specialized ones. R&D, heritage genetics, premium indoor and post-harvest optimization. “We are now working in the international cannabis industry,” he says. “With comparisons, going on a flight, there is no room for complacency. The operators who find their niche and really excel in it will be the ones who build a strong identity and remain competitive in the cannabis space.”

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The mayor of Washington DC is proposing medical marijuana companies partner with local breweries and distilleries to produce cannabis-infused and non-alcoholic beverages for sale in the nation’s capital.

Under the partnership envisioned by Mayor Muriel Bowser’s (D) Medical Cannabis Beverage Products Amendment Act of 2026, alcohol companies can apply for a medical cannabis production endorsement at a cost of $500 per year to manufacture cannabis beverages, and medical marijuana companies can apply for a $1,000 annual endorsement to import cannabinoids for production.

All beverages would have to be tested by a locally licensed laboratory, and there would be a six percent sales tax on beverages.

“This is an opportunity to support two local industries and keep businesses in DC,” Bowser said in a press release. “We have great local brewers and distillers in our city, we have a strong medical cannabis market, and this is a new opportunity for those two markets to collaborate and create a safe, smoke-free alternative for DC patients”

Breweries and distilleries would not be able to sell cannabis beverages directly to consumers, and the finished products would instead go to medical marijuana manufacturers for testing and distribution.

Sales would be limited to registered medical cannabis patients through dispensaries, and drinks could not be purchased at bars, restaurants, liquor stores and grocery stores.

“It makes sense for the District’s medical cannabis and alcohol manufacturing industries to collaborate to produce medicinal cannabis beverages,” said Fred Moosally, director of the Alcoholic Beverages and Cannabis Administration. he said. “Providing a legal way for our local breweries and distilleries to use their expertise in beverage production is the next step in reaching DC’s medical cannabis market and supporting our local business ecosystem.”

A press release from the mayor’s office said the proposal “works to solve the manufacturing challenges of the medical cannabis industry while providing additional revenue for DC’s local craft beverage producers.”

“Using the existing local bottling infrastructure, DC will expand smokeless therapeutic options for medical cannabis patients, provide additional revenue for the local industry and continue to grow the District’s economy,” he said.

The legislation is now before the District of Columbia Council for consideration.

Although Congress has consistently blocked DC’s legalization of recreational marijuana sales with a pilot approved each year, local officials have worked. expand access through the existing cannabis market for example, allowing residents and even visiting tourists to self-certify without the need for a medical recommendation.

At 5,000 square feet, Flora Arbor is about as small as a licensed cannabis grower can legally get. That’s not the problem the company is trying to solve. “We’re a very small breed, which means we can control things very well.” he says David Myrowitz, director of cultivation. “It also means that we have to be successful in every round.” Three flower cells, collected in three weeks. There is no such thing as a bad lot to disappear into a larger average. Every shift counts, and the operation is built around that reality.

It starts in the pump room
Reverse osmosis water is fed into holding tanks, nutrients are mixed by an Agrowtek fertigation machine, and the entire system runs from a GCX controller that monitors moisture sensors, dissolved solids, and soil temperature in every room. Canopy sensors feed directly into HVAC, which Flora Arbor runs on Cultiva units. “If you talk to any grower, any grower, they’ll tell you the number one thing for successful growing is having a good HVAC system,” says David. “There is somewhere that we don’t have expenses.”

© Flora Arbor

Genetics and cells
Mother plants are removed every three to six months, so cuttings are always taken from young stock. The clones move from the humidity domes to a humidity-controlled room, then to the vegetables, where a crop-correction protocol runs several irrigation streams per day to encourage growth. Moisture sensors in the grow bags track each drying cycle, and daily watering patterns are revised based on the goals of the grow system.

The flower rooms have a double-level system, with taller plants at the bottom, shorter ones at the top, grouped to keep microclimates outside and an even distribution of light. The second mesh is lowered as the plants develop to give each bud site its own square and keep airflow moving through the canopy.

In a recent route, rooms from different phases of the cycle were working at the same time. Hawaiian Rain has been crossed with permanent marker, disk chips, cereal milk. David pointed to the development of crystals in the Hawaiian Rain cross, the citrus resin charge of Disco Fries, the height management challenge of pushing a cultivar as high as possible without burning them in the lights. “We try to have a nice spread of genetics, a nice representative of each flavor profile and effect, to make sure everyone can get something they like,” he says.

Crossing the finish line
Post-harvest is managed at home, by hand. The product is sorted on the cutting table A-Bd, B-Bud and cutting table, strictly separated, the grade on the label means something. The tiered structure also serves a second purpose. “We think it’s really important to make sure quality flowers are available to people of all means, not just people who can afford the premium,” says David. The three-week harvest cycle is Flora Arbor’s main argument for the consumer. Small batches, constant rotation, nothing stored.

“Every time you get a bag, it’s going to be fresh, freshly picked grass,” says David. “It’s not something that’s been sitting in some MSO’s vault for six months because they’ve collected 2,000 pounds and can’t sell it.” The bet is that in a market where no one has solved the consistency complaint, being small enough to catch all the cattle is more valuable than the economies of scale you allow to get there.

For more information:
Flora Arbor
1300 Abbott Dr, Elgin, IL 60123
847-504-8450
(email protected)
floraarbor.com