The legal cannabusiness has been pushing innovation in all things growing and manufacturing related. In the olden days of hemp it was farmed much like any other crop with backbreaking labor at the forefront of the process. Today technology is at the forefront, not only controlling water and nutrients, but also monitoring for excess moisture and problems like mold and rot. With these plants being as expensive and controlled as they are, any bit of technology to help boost yields is going to be a game changer.

When cannabis plants are planted outdoors, it’s still very much the same backbreaking process as yesteryear until it comes time to strip the plants to prepare them for manufacturing. However, because these plants are bioaccumulators, more companies are choosing indoor growing methods to protect not only the plants from pollination and pollution, but also to control the entire growing system more closely.

Artificial intelligence and robots can monitor the growing process and ensure plants are getting exactly what they need and nothing more, which leads to greater efficiency and higher yield. The robotics are the physical contact with the plants that feed information into the artificial intelligence, which makes real-time decisions based on growing conditions and needs.

Farmbot, Seedo, and Agrify are three major examples of the technology being used to cultivate and grow cannabis plants, whether hemp or marijuana. Farmbot uses an app to collect data and learn what plants need. Seedo is an integrated grow box with lighting and hydroponics that monitors plants with photos and more. Agrify is a fully integrated farming system that includes hydroponics and monitoring and can be stacked up to six high, increasing output per square foot.

There are even artificial intelligence systems to help monitor the extraction process, freeing up the human laborers from the tedious task of monitoring system safety.

Learn more about the future of cannabis growing tech below.