This budding B.C.-based cannabis company is transforming the genetics game
By: Genevieve Michaels, Market One Media Group
- A partnership with elite genetic library, Phenome One, is the source of Pac Roots’ emphasis on premium genetics
- Outdoor cultivation at Rock Creek, B.C. is producing premium-quality flower at exponentially lower costs
- Through a new brand acquisition, Pac Roots is breaking into the American market by way of its thriving motorcycle culture
As the cannabis sector moves into maturity, consumer behaviours and expectations are changing — today’s users are older, better educated, and more health-focused than ever before. These demographics place a high value on quality and the willingness to pay for products that exceed standards.
However, even in this new climate, pricing remains one major advantage of the unlicensed market. In response, a new crop of cannabis producers is looking to close that gap, all without sacrificing quality.
“For us, it wasn’t about economies of scale, pumping out mediocre grade product from an incredibly large square footage. It was going to be a smaller footprint, with higher quality, that would have more longevity and better success rates.” — Patrick Elliott, President, CEO and Director, Pac Roots Cannabis Corp.
One such company leading the charge is Pac Roots Cannabis Corp. (CSE: PACR | OTCQB: PACRF | FSE: 4XM), a Canadian cultivator that pairs an enhanced emphasis on elite genetics with industry-leading innovation allowing them to deliver high-quality yields — at prices drastically lower than those of their competition.
Driven by strategic partnerships, long-term vision, and the veteran expertise of their leadership, partners and farming teams, the company is delivering products with immaculate quality at a uniquely accessible price point.
A partnership driven by premium quality
From its inception, Pac Roots was conceived as a partnership between the new company and Phenome One, an elite Canadian genetic library.
“This was a cultivar library beyond anything we’d seen, or even heard of,” says Patrick Elliott, Pac Roots’ President, CEO, and Director. “We put together Pac Roots based on having access to that library, utilizing farmers’ expertise and deploying it here in British Columbia, where it had been built.”
That commitment to quality has been part of what sets Pac Roots apart since the beginning. “Initially, we realized that quality was going to win,” continues Elliott. “For us, it wasn’t about economies of scale, pumping out mediocre grade product from an incredibly large square footage. It was going to be a smaller footprint, with higher quality, that would have more longevity and better success rates.”
Just as much expertise goes into cultivating these strains as into breeding and selecting them. For that reason, Pac Roots has partnered with an experienced, second-generation team of Canadian farmers.
“They’ve been in this space, growing for over 30 years in B.C.,” shares Elliott. “The biggest challenges this industry has faced have been environmental, things like variable climate extremes. But our partners have been here, farming this land for close to three generations.”
B.C.’s best product priced right
Central to Pac Roots’ ability to deliver premium product at a lower price is the innovations they’ve made in outdoor farming, thanks to their cultivation program in Rock Creek, B.C.
“The industry understanding is that you can’t grow premium cannabis outdoors,” says Elliott. “Last year, we shattered those views. We’re retaining 28 per cent THC, which is almost unheard-of outdoors.”
This is Pac Roots’ secret to low-cost production that still yields the high-quality cannabis today’s consumers expect. “We’re talking pennies per gram, in contrast to over a dollar,” Elliott explains. “$0.04 for outdoor, as opposed to $1.22 per gram, was the last model I ran.”
Marc Geen, owner of the Rock Creek acreage and its associated cannabis production company, Speakeasy, is another founding partner of Pac Roots. The land is in B.C.’s Golden Mile, known for its near-perfect climate and growing conditions.
The results of the partnership have been ground-breaking, well surpassing established industry standards and averages. The initial harvest from their 100-acre hemp CBD pilot project was a remarkable success, yielding more than expected at 105,000 pounds.
However, Pac Roots’ plans don’t end with outdoor cultivation. The company is also planning a 20,000 square foot indoor facility, which they see opening by end of Q4 2021. “The majority of that will be premium flower,” says Elliott. “We’ll be taking our best two or three strains, that the market doesn’t see very often, and focusing their cultivation there.”
Another longer-term project is “cannabis island,” a recent land acquisition in the Fraser Valley that Pac Roots was able to purchase at a nearly unheard-of price.
“As far as development and infrastructure, the land is very early stage,” explains Elliott. “But the price was right, and there’s good access to water in a lush, temperate climate.”
The connection between cannabis and motorcycle culture
Finally, Pac Roots’ marketing and distribution efforts are centred on another powerful partnership — one that blends the thriving, complementary subcultures around cannabis and motorcycles.
Pac Roots recently acquired Lords of Grasstown, an offshoot project of the cult Canadian motorcycle brand, Lords of Gastown. Both were founded by Pac Roots’ partner and branding expert, Tyler Hazelwood.
According to Elliott, the acquisition has helped Pac Roots tap into the U.S. market and its burgeoning motorcycle culture. “They have a huge following at motorcycle shows like Born Free in California, where a million people are expected to show up,” he says of the brand. “With Lords of Grasstown, we’re bringing cannabis and motorcycle culture together, leveraging the contacts and brand that Tyler and his team have built.”
Lords of Grasstown is already operating as an apparel brand, and Pac Roots sees it as a natural progression to move into retailing cannabis products and flower.
“It’s going to be this brand that we want to push in the U.S.,” says Elliott. “In California, small producers will white label the product, package the brand onto it, and get it onto their shelves.”
Elliott is optimistic about the initiative’s broad appeal and growth-driving power. “While we can’t discuss it too much just yet, I think the most important part is that it aligns these two different industries — two cultures that people love and follow.”
More to come from this budding B.C. company
While it’s been an exciting year for Pac Roots, in many ways, the company is just getting started.
With numerous milestones on the horizon, such as the completion of their indoor facility and another harvest at Rock Creek, this is a pivotal time for Pac Roots and a promising moment for savvy investors to get on board.
Pac Roots’ unique approach has them poised to majorly disrupt the cannabis sector. Driven by strategic partnerships, a willingness to innovate, and an uncompromising commitment to quality, it’s an opportune time for the company — and for investors — as they keep growing, at pace with a cannabis market that’s changing quicker than ever before.
To learn more about Pac Roots, visit their website here.
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