Dewey Scientific aims to bring sophisticated research methods to the cannabis industry

For years, cannabis cultivation has been more art than science. Breeders and legacy growers developed varieties and produced crops without the tools or experience of professional biochemists and genetics experts.

But with commercial legalization jumping from one state to the next, several companies have joined the race to fine-tune the cannabis genome and bring 21st century techniques into the evolving space. Dewey Scientific is among these relative newcomers — a company with academic chops rather than decades of hands-on experience specifically in cannabis cultivation. The company’s three co-founders — CEO Jordan Zager, chief science officer Mark Lange and director of research Paul Mihalyov — all have doctorates in plant sciences.

“Over the last decade, the cost of sequencing the plant genome has dropped tremendously,” Zager says, “so it’s allowed for a lot of advancements in how we can selectively breed, based on genetic information, not just what it looks like or what it’s producing.”

The company, which now employs about a dozen people, moved into its Pullman, Washington facility in November 2018 and works with clients in the hemp and marijuana spaces with the goal of producing more consistent and higher-yielding cannabis crops that are tailored for their region’s climate. Read More.