Don’t Grow for the Discount Rack: Colorado Cultivators Put Differentiation, Consistency and Quality First

Burn After Reading The 30-second intel for operators and investors ⏱ 0:30

At IgniteIt Colorado in Denver on Sept. 18, cultivation and genetics experts said quality alone no longer keeps premium flower off the discount rack. Differentiation, consistency and post-harvest protection decide whether a product holds its value.

• Operators: Research what consumers want, pick a niche and tell its story. Build SOPs, inputs and people that deliver the same experience every purchase, and cut handling steps after harvest, since flower is an "accumulator of error."
• Investors: In a Colorado market of compressed margins and tough competition, the panel ties value to disciplined operations: clear differentiation, repeatable results and product that survives to the shelf, not to chasing the next trend.
• Do now: Audit your post-harvest workflow, from processing to storage, and list every handling step and surface your flower touches. Then flag the ones you can remove or tighten with environmental controls.

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By Jim Dissett – Maverick Public Relations

In a Colorado cannabis market where price pressure and competition continue to challenge cultivators, simply growing good cannabis is no longer enough. At IgniteIt Colorado on Sept. 18 in Denver, a panel of cultivation, genetics, technology and retail-industry experts explored what it takes to stay ahead of changing demand and, ultimately, keep premium products off the discount rack.

Moderated by Chris Mapson of Cannatrol, the panel, “Don’t Grow for the Discount Rack: How Colorado Cultivators Stay Ahead of Demand,” featured Michelle Brinkerhoff of Edun, David Todd of GrowGeneration, Andrew Berman of Arcana Collective LLC, and Harrison Somoza of Vera Cultivation.

Three major themes emerged from the discussion.

Know what consumers actually want

For Brinkerhoff, building a successful cultivation business begins with listening to consumers rather than assuming the market will tell them what to grow. Edun conducted consumer research before developing its cultivation model and found an opportunity among consumers looking for alternatives to alcohol and seeking what they considered a cleaner cannabis experience. That insight ultimately informed the company’s no-till, living-soil cultivation approach and broader brand mission.

Berman took a similar approach from the genetics side, arguing that cannabis consumers increasingly want more than a commodity product. He identified three interconnected elements: genetics, variety, and storytelling. Genetics provide the foundation, but cultivators also need to continually explore new varieties and give consumers a reason to care about where those genetics came from and what makes them distinctive.

That differentiation extends beyond the plant itself. Somoza explained that Vera has developed a portfolio of brands and products with different identities and stories, giving retailers a broader menu while providing consumers with alternatives to interchangeable flower.

The message was clear: cultivators cannot rely on quality alone as their differentiator. They need to understand their customer, identify their niche, and communicate why their product is different.

Variety may attract consumers, but consistency keeps them coming back

While consumers want new genetics and experiences, the panelists repeatedly returned to a second requirement: consistency.

Todd described the equation simply: “Variety by consistency equals success.” For cultivators, offering interesting genetics is only half the challenge. The product must also deliver a predictable experience from one purchase to the next.

Somoza agreed, noting that Vera’s customers are looking for both variety and a consistent experience. Achieving that balance is particularly difficult because cultivators are working with living organisms whose performance can change with environmental conditions.

That is where systems and standard operating procedures become critical. Todd argued that cultivators need reliable systems, SOPs, inputs and people rather than constantly chasing the industry’s latest product or “secret sauce.” Somoza added that SOPs must be flexible enough to accommodate different genetics while providing a framework for consistent results.

The panel’s rapid-fire answers at the end reinforced the point. Asked what cultivators could change immediately to avoid the discount rack, Brinkerhoff’s answer was “Consistency. Consistency. Great SOPs.”

Growing great cannabis is only part of the job – the post-harvest matters just as much

The panel also emphasized what happens after cultivation. Somoza described post-production as fundamentally a preservation exercise: after months of work in the garden, the goal is to avoid degrading the product during processing, handling and storage.

Environmental controls and minimizing unnecessary touchpoints are therefore critical. Every additional surface, container, or handling step represents another opportunity for quality to deteriorate.

Todd characterized flower as an “accumulator of error,” underscoring how small mistakes can add up between harvest and the final saleable product. He also noted that different genetics can have different shelf-life characteristics, making it important for cultivators to understand their products and organize their workflows accordingly.

Technology and data are increasingly helping operators manage that complexity. Berman pointed to the dramatic improvement in data-collection tools available to cultivators and breeders over the past five years, including systems that can connect cultivation parameters with information about consumer preferences.

Ultimately, the discussion came back to a fundamental business principle: the value of premium cannabis is determined not simply by what happens in the garden, but by what survives all the way to the retail shelf.

For Colorado cultivators navigating compressed margins and an increasingly competitive market, the panel’s message was less about chasing the next trend and more about building disciplined businesses around differentiation, consistency, and quality. Grow something consumers want. Give them a reason to choose it. Build systems that allow you to reproduce the experience. And then protect that product every step of the way to the shelf.

Those same pressures shape California’s cannabis market, where cultivators must turn product quality into repeat purchases while protecting margins. IgniteIt’s upcoming Los Angeles Market Spotlight will bring industry leaders together to discuss the operating decisions behind a sustainable cannabis business. Join the conversation on building products consumers choose—and businesses that can afford to keep producing them.