The cannabis industry is constantly evolving and innovating so it’s no surprise that some businesses are integrating tech tools powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI).
The potential benefits are enticing; customized algorithms that will increase yields and lower costs for consumers.
For some companies, AI offers a little relief in an overburdened cannabis industry by reducing errors and increasing profitability through automation.
AI is helping professionals reduce the guesswork and streamline processes from cultivation to the shopping experience. It all comes down to data; algorithms learn and optimize the more data inputs it has. Whether you’re excited about the sheer potential of AI, or terrified it’s coming for your job, the combination of tech and cannabis has only just begun.
There are many ways the cannabis industry is starting to implement AI algorithms:
- Compliance and quality control
- Supply chain optimization
- Marketing and consumer trend analysis
- Crop monitoring and pest/disease control
- Reduce wasted energy, water, electricity and other environmental inputs
- Predictive analytics and consistency
- Staff training and recruitment
Can AI help consumers shop for cannabis?
Retail stores are incorporating AI to better serve their consumers through shopping recommendations and automated customer service. Budtenders are essential to any cannabis retail store and AI isn’t a substitute for a well-trained staff, however, it could help optimize their expertise.
The use of AI in retail can streamline customer experiences, optimize store performance, perfect supply chain efficiency and aid in a safe and secure shopping environment. AI integration helps online shoppers, or in-person folks who prefer to browse themselves, navigate products easily and get product recommendations based on individual preferences.
For management, AI can track a store's busiest shopping times so they have more staff during peak hours and seasons. Given enough data, AI can track inventory, study market trends and compare costs year-over-year so stores can stock the kinds of products customers are looking for.
Can AI help grow better weed?
Growing cannabis is a mix of art and science, merging horticulture and a passion for cannabis. AI has the potential to take the guesswork out of cultivation by analyzing inputs like water, nutrients, lighting, humidity and canopy cover. Based on crop data producers can develop individualized algorithms that help lower labour costs, eliminate overproduction and protect plants from pests and mold.
It’s no secret that Canada has an overproduction issue when it comes to cannabis. Using AI, cultivators can use algorithms to forecast demand and streamline inefficiencies to reduce costs and waste. Predictive technologies like AI help producers manage cultivation and harvest times to ensure products hit the market at the right time.
Consistency is key for indoor cultivation and at the end of the day, that is what AI offers. While the knowledge of master growers can’t be replaced, AI can perfect standard operating procedures and use real-time data to create consistent and healthy crops in across multiple facilities. Successful crops can be easily replicated, AI can synthesize years of data to optimize strain-specific quality and yields in a way that producers can use year after year.
