{"version":"1.0","type":"rich","provider_name":"Acast","provider_url":"https://acast.com","height":250,"width":700,"html":"<iframe src=\"https://embed.acast.com/$/64f08c710cd0a2001198aa81/69123f6ea17ebcde88644da9?\" frameBorder=\"0\" width=\"700\" height=\"250\"></iframe>","title":"Koi & Cannabis","thumbnail_width":200,"thumbnail_height":200,"thumbnail_url":"https://open-images.acast.com/shows/64f08c710cd0a2001198aa81/1764089272589-2ca6208c-518a-452a-b925-e5e8907b2067.jpeg?height=200","description":"<p>What if the next medical cannabis breakthrough wasn't in a lab but in a basement with 3,000 koi? In this episode we trace how Aqualitas created an aquaponic ecosystem that caught the eye of a global cannabis distributer and helped them transform their business.</p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><strong>Episode breakdown &amp; timestamps:</strong></p><p>00:00 — Opening: The unlikely origins of big medical innovation (intro to the central mystery and stakes).</p><p>02:20 — From hockey rinks to hedge funds to cannabis: Josh Roberts' journey and why Wellford pursued Aqualitas (founder &amp; investor perspective).</p><p>06:30 — Meet the scientist: Danielle Maitland explains aquaponics vs hydroponics and the living ecosystem that fuels plants.</p><p>10:15 — Inside Aqualitas: the basement system, 3,000 koi, recirculating aquaculture, and the water chemistry that changes product quality.</p><p>13:30 — Business &amp; science meet: why aquaponics creates a defensible moat, R&amp;D hurdles, and the global response.</p><p>16:30 — Takeaways, implications for sustainable cultivation, and what's next for Nova Scotia's life sciences scene.</p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><strong>Guest bios &amp; credentials:</strong></p><p>- Danielle Maitland — Director of Science &amp; Cultivation Technology, Aqualitas. Background: chemical engineering, MSc in sustainable aquaculture, PhD candidate in agricultural sciences; expert in aquaponics and plant–microbe interactions.</p><p>- Josh Roberts — Chief Business Officer, Wellford Group. Former hedge fund trader and co-founder of Cannaray/Wellford</p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><strong>What you'll learn:</strong></p><p>- How aquaponics works and why it can outperform hydroponics for cannabis: closed-loop water, nutrient cycling, and beneficial microbes.</p><p>- The sustainability gains: 90–95% water recirculation, reduced synthetic fertilizers, and lower energy/resource footprint.</p><p>- Commercial and regulatory implications: why unique cultivation methods create supply-chain advantages and differentiation for medical cannabis.</p><p>- Lessons for founders and investors: the power of deep R&amp;D, place-based innovation (Nova Scotia), and vertical integration strategies.</p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><strong>Resources &amp; links mentioned:</strong></p><p>- Aqualitas: https://aqualitas.ca</p><p>- Wellford Group / Cannaray: https://wellford.com</p><p>- Life Sciences Nova Scotia: https://lifesciencesnovascotia.ca</p><p>- Snack Labs: https://wearesnack.io</p><p>- Intro reading on aquaponics vs hydroponics: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aquaponics</p>","author_name":"Snack Labs"}