Extreme weather events present opportunities for the UK’s CBD supply chain – Spectrum

t’s not just wildfires causing havoc with cannabis and hemp crops across the US and Europe this year, other weather activity has also played a part.

Extreme weather events, from hurricanes, tropical storms and wildfires to floods and early frosts, mean growers need to re-evaluate specific strains of crops for their adaptability, optimum harvesting time, consider moving to higher or lower ground, and even from outdoor to indoor growing to avoid the worst of the extreme weather swings.

With wildfires still raging in some areas, Hurricane Ida made landfall in early September, battering the cannabis crops and supply chain still recovering from the effects of a global pandemic.

Supply chains in critical condition

nothing passed through the Port of New Orleans, dispensaries remained shuttered and as Ida journeyed on, US hemp and cannabis operators faced flood damage, power cuts and collapsed supply chains. Even when the worst of the storm had passed, power outages kept many businesses closed.

As the clean-up got underway, logistics issues continued to cause significant business disruption, with chemicals critical for cannabis production in short supply due to a lack of available haulage and suffering from a hike in fuel prices.
For the future, we must build business resilience to extreme weather activity:

• Establish relationships with multiple suppliers to reduce reliance on a single source
• Hold sufficient stocks to keep going if there are protracted supply chain issues
• Have an alternative power source to keep crops heated or cooled in the event of prolonged power outages
• Make a resiliency plan so any business interruption is limited
• Insure what you can to get back up and running as quickly as possible

Building a reliable European supply chain

For businesses operating here in the UK, disruption to global supplies creates an opportunity to build a robust and reliable supply chain that can be fulfilled from within Europe so the increasingly extreme weather conditions and haulage issues in the US don’t impact our ability to do business here.

At Spectrum Technology, we believe outdated legislation keeps the UK reliant on Europe and the US for the raw materials, but the closer to home we can source, the better the reliability of supply and lower carbon footprint. Purchasing locally will also help keep money in the UK or European economy and may lead to sustained – and sustainable – growth in the sector.

If you’re looking to produce high-quality CBD oil or THC oil from raw hemp or cannabis, contact us today or find us at The CBD Show.