Short exerpt from The Hemp Connoisseurs’ article on Los Sueños Farms..

“Growing plants outdoors seems like a natural way of doing things, but when it comes to marijuana in Colorado, the idea is a bit of a revelation. In most of the state, growing outdoor marijuana isn’t allowed. All production is limited to secure, closed facilities with walls and roofs. But here in Pueblo, growing the plant has returned to a more natural course. “Everyone’s trying to recreate nature indoors,” says Michael Cadwell, Los Sueños’ director of sales. “They’ve spent millions upon millions of dollars on these grows.” The artificial growing environment that is necessary to legally grow cannabis in so much of the state brings with it its own perils. Grows need to be handled with extreme care, as contamination can lead to pests, mold and other issues that, in this pseudo sterile environment, can spread quickly, knocking out a crop and costing the manufacturer thousands of dollars. The common solution is to douse plants with pesticides and fungicides when problems arise, a course of action that is very publicly playing out in Denver in the form of recalls, much to the chagrin of manufacturers.

Out here, says Cadwell, nature can take its course. Larger predatory insects shortly handle any pest infestation, and Cadwell says he watched this circle of life play out during the first harvest. The other obvious advantage to growing like this is the Colorado sun, graciously provided the proverbial 300 days per year free of charge. Pueblo lies in the state’s banana belt, with a warmer climate making it ideal for cannabis. While the climate here may literally be well suited for growing cannabis, the political and economic climate may be the truly defining feature of the area that makes it so attractive to these types of businesses.”