Challenging Floral Design With Cannabis
(SPONSORED STORY)
WORDS BY Christopher Turner
© HIGHSNOBIETY
7ACRES is known for growing some of the best high-end cannabis strains in Canada. The company goes to extraordinary lengths to create cannabis that delivers a high-end experience by focusing on better genetics, aroma, appearance, size and flavour.
And it’s those important characteristics that help separate the brand from other mid-market products. Of course, cannabis exists in many different varieties and sub-species, and each cannabis strain has a different concentration of the cannabinoids tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), as well as other compounds. Cultivators and farmers have long been breeding different varieties with certain characteristics to create hybrids and specific strains. There is an art and a science behind growing and breeding premium cannabis, according to Nick Jikomes, the director of science for Leafly.com, a resource focused on cannabis use and education.
"Genetically, cannabis is also diverse – more diverse than humans. Because of this genetic diversity, there’s a lot of phenotypic diversity that comes with breeding new cannabis strains."
“The plant is very adaptable,” says Jikomes. “Genetically, cannabis is also diverse – more diverse than humans. Because of this genetic diversity, there’s a lot of phenotypic diversity that comes with breeding new cannabis strains. Different types of plants have different growth characteristics, physical features, and cannabinoid/terpene profiles they produce. All of these things affect the economics of how to grow a particular strain, the way it smells and feels to the end consumer, and how hearty and easy to grow it will be. Because of all these variables, it takes years and years of experience for people to become expert growers.”
7ACRES has plenty of experience, having built a brand around their commitment to provide consumers with a high-end cannabis experience, starting with the creation of a better cannabis flower. For 7ACRES, the creation of a better cannabis flower starts with thoughtfully selected genetics that are raised inside a 342,000-square-foot facility in Kincardine, Ontario. The indoor facility uses high-pressure sodium (HPS) lighting and an advanced supplemental sunlight system that creates a unique finished flower, one the company says is unlike anything else in the marketplace. There’s also a pride and respect for each cultivar’s genetic lineage and history, and products are crafted by knowledgeable cannabis minds who share a passion for the product from seed to package. That commitment to the creation of a better cannabis flower is what drives the brand, and ultimately provides a high-end cannabis experience with smooth smoke and clean ash.
“I like to think about strains in terms of their chemical profile,” says Jikomes. “For example, a strain like Jack Haze, and many ‘Jack’ strains in general, tend to be THC-dominant with a terpene profile high in terpinolene [editor’s note: terpinolene is a terpene that smells like pine/floral/citrus]. Based on the Leafly strain database, these profiles correlate very strongly with energizing effects. You can contrast that with strains that tend to have higher myrcene or caryophyllene levels (e.g. Papaya), which correlates with more calming effects.”
To help show off the beauty of high-end cannabis, we asked avant-garde florist Jaime McCuaig of Toronto’s GUNNAR Floral to create a few experimental, innovative and modern designs to help show off each of the unique strains and go beyond the usual tropes of cannabis photography. By weaving cannabis buds into the designs McCuaig has been able to achieve a distinctive interpretation of each strain.
“The floral sculptures were inspired by the personality and notes of each 7ACRES strain”
“The floral sculptures were inspired by the personality and notes of each 7ACRES strain we brought to life,” says McCuaig, whose work has been featured everywhere from the Gardiner Museum to album artwork for Toronto singer-songwriter Cold Specks (a.k.a. Ladan Hussein). The profile of each helped to determine what botanical ingredients would emulate or convey a particular attitude. Pepperberry, pine and milkweed floss for Jack Haze, whose profile expressed crisp pine and warm spice. Slick, purple-veined leaves, shimmering lunaria seed pods and Lumina Anthurium came together for Sensi Star, which I wanted to feel was running in space and on petrol.”
“I am always trying to challenge the perception of how flowers should look and how they should be contained,” says McCuaig. “These sculptures are intentionally floating in space, which could have them be interpreted as cellular or towering in size. The bonsai element we used for Papaya is another nod to this intentional distortion of perspective.
Many strands of inspiration informed the final outcome. Disorienting our audience to encourage them to take a closer look was something I am proud of having achieved.”McCuaig’s unique designs help tell the story behind 7ACRES and their strong belief that cannabis is ‘a gift the earth has given us to improve our lives.’
For more information on 7ACRES and their movement towards the betterment of cannabis
visit 7acres.comPhotographer:
Norman Wong
Floral Design:
Jaime McCuaig
Floral Design:
GUNNAR Floral
Digital Artist:
Alex Gee
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