Volatility in energy prices continues to affect greenhouse gas producers across Europe, as the growing share of renewable energy and developments in electricity markets lead to stronger and more frequent price increases. For a large Dutch greenhouse grower, this challenge became the starting point for a more flexible and efficient approach to lighting management.

Like many high-intensity greenhouse operations in the Netherlands, the business faced rising electricity costs and major surprises while requiring precise light control to maintain consistent crop quality throughout the year.

To meet these challenges, the manufacturer implemented the Netvion intelligent control system. The solution enables real-time control of light intensity and spectrum without the need to rewire or make major changes to the existing greenhouse infrastructure.

© Netvion

Responding to extreme electricity prices
Electricity prices in the Netherlands have shown considerable volatility in recent years, ranging from negative prices during periods of renewable overproduction to sharp peaks in demand. “Traditional wired lighting systems offer limited flexibility to respond to rapid price changes,” says Sharan Avati with Netvion. “This often results in inefficient energy use and higher operational costs.”

With Netvion’s system, the grower can dynamically adjust lighting levels based on real-time electricity prices. During high price periods, light intensity is reduced to the minimum level required for crop development. When prices are low or negative, lighting levels can be increased to support plant growth, taking advantage of favorable market conditions.

© Netvion

Improve crop yield through clear precision
High-value greenhouse crops require precise control of light intensity at different growth stages. Using Netvion’s multi-channel lighting control, the manufacturer fine-tuned light levels from 30 µmol/m²/s at high prices to 200 µmol/m²/s when energy costs were low.

This level of precision optimized energy consumption while maintaining consistent crop quality. Instead of increasing stem length, the cultivar saw a measurable increase in crop weight, reporting 3-7% heavier crops, depending on crop type and growing conditions.

According to the grower, this improvement was driven by better alignment of light levels to plant needs during favorable energy price windows, without overstressing the crop during high-cost periods.

© Netvion

Fast financial impact through the fast energy manager
The financial impact of the wireless lighting system was very dynamic. With a capacity of 3 MW to connect to the grid (“knip”), the producer uses Netvion to respond quickly to fluctuations in electricity prices.

© Netvion In practice, correcting lighting levels allows growers to recover approximately 20-30% of their total daily energy costs in 15 minutes under extreme market conditions.
Depending on electricity prices, it can be worth up to 1,500 euros received in a single 15-minute window, shares Sharan. “This emphasizes the importance of real-time control speed rather than fixed hourly savings.”

“Combined with the reduced installation and maintenance costs enabled by the wireless infrastructure, the system provided a strong business case and approximately a two-year return on investment, while also reducing cabling, labor requirements and overall system complexity.”

© Netvion

Easy integration into existing greenhouses
Although Netvion is designed to integrate with existing climate control platforms, this manufacturer followed a different approach. Instead of using a standard third-party climate computer, the company developed custom in-house software to handle the control logic and system connections.

Netvion’s open and flexible architecture enabled integration with this custom-built platform, allowing the producer to implement their own advanced control strategies, taking advantage of wireless high-resolution lighting.

Sharan: “For other greenhouse operations using commercial climate control systems, integration can be easier. This case demonstrates that Netvion supports both standard integration and highly customized control environments based on the grower’s operational configuration.”

© Netvion

For more information:
Netvion
+31 613921828
(email protected)
www.netvion.io

Virginia lawmakers have passed a bill to legalize the sale of marijuana, as well as separate legislation to provide a way to reinstate past cannabis convictions.

On Wednesday, the Appropriations Committee of the Assembly was approved Del. Paul Krizek’s Marijuana Sale Legislation (D) 16-6 in the vote. This is coming About a week after advancing a similar measure through a Senate panel.

The Subcommittee on Transportation and Public Safety advanced the legislation with an amendment earlier in the day on a 5-2 vote.

Krizek’s bill, HB 642, is largely in line with the recommendations the lawmaker released last month. Joint Commission to Oversee the Transition to the Commonwealth Retail Cannabis Market.

Since legalizing cannabis ownership and home cultivation in 2021, Virginia lawmakers have been working to establish a commercial marijuana market– Only for those efforts to stall under former Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R), who twice vetoed measures sent to his desk by the Legislature.

According to the approved measure, the sale of adult cannabis can begin on November 1. That’s a shorter timeframe than the Senate assistant, which calls for sales to begin on Jan. 1, 2027.

Subcommittee on Wednesday taken The alternative version of the bill changes several key details, including adjusting tax rates and reducing the conversion fee that current medical cannabis companies would have to pay to serve the recreational market.

Here are the key details of the Virginia House legalization of marijuana sales legislation as amended:

• Adults would be able to purchase up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana in a single transaction, or up to an equivalent amount of other cannabis products, as determined by regulators.
• The Virginia Cannabis Control Authority would oversee licensing and regulation of the new industry. Its board of directors would have the authority to control the possession, sale, transportation, distribution, delivery and testing of marijuana.
• The sale of marijuana products would be subject to a six percent excise tax, which would be subject to the state’s 5.3 percent retail sales and use tax. Local governments may charge an additional tax of 3.5 percent.
• The tax revenue would be divided between the costs of administering and enforcing the state’s marijuana system, a new Cannabis Equity Investment Fund, pre-kindergarten programs, substance use disorder prevention and treatment programs, and public health programs such as awareness campaigns designed to prevent drug-impaired driving and discourage underage use.
• Local governments could not allow marijuana companies to operate in their area.
• Delivery services would be allowed.
• Serving sizes would be limited to 10 milligrams of THC, with no more than 100 mg of THC per package.
• Existing medical cannabis operators could enter the adult-use market if they pay a $5 million license conversion fee.
• Cannabis businesses should implement peaceful labor agreements with their employees.
• A legislative committee would direct the addition of local consumer licenses and micro-enterprise cannabis event permits that would allow licensees to hold sales at farmers markets or pop-up locations. The Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority would also investigate the possibility of involvement in marijuana regulation and enforcement.

In the Senate, SB 542, a measure sponsored by Sen. Lashrecse Aird (D), to legalize the sale of marijuana, passed through the Senate Judiciary Committee last week. However, it changed in that way drew criticism from advocates for changes that would have imposed new penalties on certain cannabis-related activities such as possession by minors and growing marijuana without a license, which can carry the threat of jail time.

A coalition of reform groups has since sent a letter to the Senate Finance Committee, where the measure was passed, asking them to withdraw those amendments.

Just sworn Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) supports legalizing the sale of marijuana to adults.

Meanwhile, the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee on Wednesday also approved a bill, SB 62By Sen. Louise Lucas (D), it would create a process to consider changing the sentences under which people incarcerated or under community supervision for certain felonies involving the possession, manufacture, sale or distribution of marijuana could receive an automatic trial.

The jury approved the measure in a 10-4 vote.

On the part of the Assembly, the supplementary version of the revision legislation, HB 26 Del. Rozia Henson (D), advanced it through the Appropriations Committee on a 16-6 vote Wednesday.

Earlier, the Subcommittee on General Government and Capital Expenditures approved the measure in a 3-1 vote.

The bill applies to people with convictions or convictions for conduct that occurred before July 1, 2021, when a state law that legalized personal possession and home cultivation of marijuana went into effect.

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Separately, the Virginia Senate passed a bill on Tuesday Provide legal protections for hospital staff to facilitate the use of medical marijuana for terminally ill patients in their facilities, as long as cannabis is federally rescheduled.

SB 332 would build on existing state law that protects healthcare professionals in hospices and nursing facilities who help terminally ill patients use medical cannabis treatment. These protections will be extended to hospital workers.

New federal guidance on medical cannabis is drawing attention to a growing gap in Canadian health care: patients are increasingly using cannabis to manage symptoms, but often without consistent clinical education, dosage support or drug interaction screening.

In January 2026, Health Canada published Information on the Medical Uses of Cannabis, a guidance document for consumers that includes contraindications, possible drug interactions, dosing and titration principles, and potential adverse effects.

Legal cannabis products produced and sold in Canada are not licensed to treat specific diseases or symptoms and have not been reviewed to determine whether they are safe or effective for those purposes.

“This is top-to-bottom healthcare,” said Ajay Chahal, PharmD, co-founder of Apothecare. “Health Canada has done the work to put clear guidelines to Canadians, but it’s absurd that patients are still forced to be their own physician educators. We’ve created a reality where patients are forced to turn to budtenders for pseudo-clinical advice, product recommendations for sleep, pain, anxiety or cancer-related symptoms based on anecdotes that work for someone I know. That’s not informed care, it’s a symptom of a system that has failed.”

Health Canada says that the use of cannabis carries health risks that are not yet fully understood and advises Canadians to consult their health care provider before using cannabis for medical purposes.

“That warning should set the system in motion,” said Anushya Vijayaraghevan, PharmD, co-founder of Apothecare. “Patients should not gamble with their health to relieve symptoms. If a patient is taking antidepressants, blood thinners, seizure medications, or has mental health vulnerabilities, the stakes are real. However, patients are often left to make product decisions and trial-and-error dosing with little guidance from the clinical system they are supposed to protect.”

In response to Health Canada’s guidelines, Apothecare is calling for four immediate actions to close the cannabis education gap in Canadian healthcare. First, medical cannabis education should be integrated into the core training of physicians, pharmacists, nurses, and allied health providers, with standardized learning outcomes that address dosage, contraindications, impairment, and drug interactions. Cannabis is already being used by patients across the country, and clinicians need a shared baseline of knowledge to manage it safely and consistently.

Second, clinical cannabis counseling should be established as a standard for patient safety. Canadians deserve access to evidence-based guidance that is medically responsible, consistent across care settings and independent of retail environments. Without clinical advice, patients are often left to navigate complex decisions on their own, increasing the risk of misuse, adverse effects, or missed interactions with other therapies.

Third, continuing education requirements through professional organizations need to be modernized so that clinicians can keep pace as cannabis use becomes more common for symptom management. Continuing education allows health care providers to confidently counsel patients, analyze risk factors, and adapt care as evidence evolves, rather than relying on outdated information or comfort levels.

Finally, cannabis should be treated like other pharmacologically active therapies in routine care. This means standardizing patient disclosure, documenting use in medical records, and supporting appropriate follow-up and monitoring. By moving away from a trial-and-error approach, it will help integrate cannabis into standard care practices and improve patient safety and outcomes.

“This is not about being for or against cannabis,” Vijayaragheva said. “It’s about accountability. The system can’t ignore something this widespread and then act surprised when patients are confused, underinformed or harmed. We have the knowledge and the clinical space to do better, but it needs to be prioritized.”

“This should not be controversial,” Chahal said. “If millions of Canadians use cannabis for medical purposes, then millions of Canadians deserve professional-level education, consistent clinical supervision and clear safety standards.”

For more information:
Apothecare
https://apothecare.ca/