Sage advice from a seasoned pro.
One thing is certain, Advanced Nutrients CEO Michael “BigMike” Straumietis cares about the cannabis community, both at home and abroad. Although the company’s been in business for 18 years, BigMike confesses, “I first started growing 34 years ago because I wanted to make money, but then I fell in love.” His adoration for the plant eventually led him to create one of the best-selling, cannabis-specific nutrient lines in the world. If you’re a cannabis grower or consumer, chances are, you’ve reaped the rewards of BigMike’s work through Advanced Nutrients.
Advanced Nutrients works with growers and cannabis industry folks in over 93 countries and the company is also one of the leaders in cannabis research, thanks to the dozens of scientists and PhDs it employs. Synonymous with the art of hydroponics, the water-based agriculture process involving nutrients instead of soil, Advanced Nutrients helps innumerable growers enhance their product to cultivate the best cannabis possible.
In addition to devoting his life to the science of growing bigger and better buds, BigMike’s hydroponic fertilizer company has gifted over a million dollars worth of Advanced Nutrients to patients, constructed a grow room for CannaMoms, and started the Holiday Heroes charity, feeding over 26,000 people in need. Between his generous donations to the Marijuana Policy Project and advocacy efforts to legalize medical marijuana in Bulgaria, BigMike and the Advanced Nutrients team are on a mission to make the world a greener place.
BigMike isn’t shy about sharing insider insight and doling out advice gleaned from his 30-plus years of maneuvering in the global marketplace. The master gardener-turned-business-guru was even kind enough to talk with MERRY JANE and share seven helpful tips for finding success in the cannabis industry.