You don’t have to design the Taj Mahal when planning your marijuana grow operation.
After all, it doesn’t have to look great since few people will see it besides employees, vendor partners, perhaps the government, and any guests you personally invite in. So really, your marijuana grow facility design should be based more on function than appearance.
You want it to be a secure place with proper equipment to ensure plants grow well, and that there’s lots of room to move people and supplies around.
Beyond that, you’re on your own! Have fun!
OK, maybe we can go beyond this by offering a few more design pointers to get you pointed in the right direction so you successfully go from “I have no idea what I’m doing” to “I think this is going to work.”
- Figure out your philosophy. ‘Legal’ commercial growing can be structurally different than underground old-school growing, where plants were often jumbled together in a central spot without so much rhyme or reason. You can certainly stay that way on a larger scale, or you can consider quality control measures and reserve different rooms for different purposes. Besides separating strains or allowing for different grow methods, this approach can minimize cross-contamination.
- Take care of any “real” paperwork first. Any restrictions from your municipality need to be figured out early on in the process, often before any construction takes place. This includes following a standard building review and permitting process for your community as well as any specific regulations in place for commercial cannabis operations. Because cannabis is so new as a legal commodity, there may be additional restrictions and regulations on everything from specific inspections to additional security measures and safety features.
- Consider your walls. In order to keep different types of plants separate from each other, along with sectioning off different areas of the operation, a series of sturdy wall panels are a great investment. They can divide your facility and also function as clean rooms. Structural Panels Inc. provides a variety of steel-skinned insulated panels that are fire-rated for up to three hours and also allow for controlled temperature conditions. Plus, panels, doors and ceilings can also be easily scrubbed, which can aid your sanitation and maintenance needs.
- Plan ahead. Your design should take into account your current production and operational needs, but also should allow room for hopeful future expansion. Even if you’re still getting up to speed now with your current logistics, you can start estimating where would you like to be in five years. How much space would you need if you added “X” new clients wanting “Y” numbers of strains?
- Think about workflow. Rather than putting plants and equipment wherever they fit and where they r, look for arrangements that can improve overall efficiency. For example, put portions of soil where it’s most needed, rather than in a stockroom/warehouse far away from everything else.
As expected, these items barely scratch the surface of all the do’s and don’ts that can be considered when focusing on your marijuana grow facility design.