What does a cannabis plantation look like?

Cannabis cultivation remains fundamentally unchanged for as long as man has been growing hemp A seed, water, sun and nutrients. However, greenhouses in the USA are taking horticulture to a whole new level.

Mashable went 30 minutes from Aspen, Colorado, to the plantations of Silverpeak Apothecary, an Aspen dispensary, to see what a modern marijuana plantation looks like, which in addition to occupying over 2000m², offers high-quality cannabis cultivation.

Silverpeak Apothecary is a luxury dispensary in Aspen, located on the same street as the Ralph Lauren boutique. So it's no surprise that the premises used for cultivation, High Valley Farm, are state-of-the-art.

«In 10 years, there will be something much better than this,» Silverpeak COO Mike Woods reports to Mashable, while explaining the importance of regulating the temperature and light inside High Calley. Because like all what's happening in Colorado, and other states that have authorized cannabis cultivation, is an experiment.

Security cameras dot the stone and wood facade, leaving not a single blind spot. If it weren't for these cameras, one might mistake the building for a spa offering massages and saunas with pine essential oil. But after dusting off your shoes, a heavy metal door opens and the smell of freshly cut cannabis reaches your nostrils.

After entering, dress shoes are replaced by Crocs, which are inserted into charlottes. Everything is done to avoid contamination of the thousands of cannabis plants inside. To reach the greenhouse proper, several decontamination chambers are required, in which all comings and goings are recorded.

The care and prudence put in place is not just to ensure maximum quality for customers. The marijuana in Colorado (MED) can drop in at any time to check everything from paperwork to plant counts.

Beyond that, Jordan Lewis, Silverpeak's founder and CEO, really cares about his plants and has created an environment where they feel at home.

Image: Mashable, Brian KOERBER

«It all started in people's closets,» explains Woods. After the legalizing the recreational use of cannabis In the last year, plantations have invested in quality equipment and small-scale cultivation has turned into a massive installation. Only one year after legalization, there are no cultivation standards, and each grower is testing different methods and equipment.

High Valley knows that its responsibility does not lie solely in respecting Colorado's strict rules, But also in setting new standards for cannabis cultivation in a new legal environment.

Watch Mashable's report from the High Valley plantation below.

Equally impressive, albeit in a smaller format, is the video of a cannabis grow room in Montreal.