The Delicate Art of Cultivation at Alternative Medicine

Cultivating cannabis is a delicate art that requires precision, patience and — if you really want to get it right — passion. That’s why Lenny Feldman of Alternative Medicine on Capitol Hill (AMCH) holds himself to such a high standard. He’s been growing cannabis for almost a decade and is dedicated to providing medicine that is consistently high in quality.

The endless supply of quality strains they provide reads like a best-of list: Blue Dream, Durban Poison, Super Lemon Haze, Golden Goat, Tangerine Dream, Girl Scout Cookies and Headband.

“Our strains are handpicked and some have been grown for over five years. I consider our business to be run like a microbrew,” Feldman shares. “Just like in small batch bourbons, our system is done in small batches, which we all know means more time and effort for better, more unique products. We grade our weed on a two-point system: quality and consistency.”

The 9,000-square-foot facility AMCH uses to cultivate cannabis is located in Denver, Colorado and is divided into three separate spaces. The large section houses most of their top-shelf strains, which are all hand-trimmed and coco-grown. Another 2,000-square-foot room holds fewer strains and is used for lower-priced strains, which allows the dispensary to remain highly competitive in an industry where cost to the consumer matters. There are often more than 20 strains growing at any given time.

“Our warehouse also utilizes the best space and time management. We give our plants a 30-foot ceiling and plenty of veg time to fill the space perfectly. We dedicate ourselves to knowing when a plant has reached its perfect maturity,” Feldman says.

Their signature product is a strain called Banana, which is reportedly “the kiefiest bud on the planet.” Feldman dries and cures the cannabis so that people can receive spongy, sticky, smelly, kiefy and dense buds. Many of their strains consistently test over 20 percent and are harvested weekly. AMCH, which is both a recreational and medical dispensary, also offers potent hashes made from their own strains.

“Since we trim dry, we get the most premium sugar leaf which we call Gold and our master hash maker extracts the finest bubble hash on the market,” Feldman says. “This stuff tests in the 60 percent THC range which, for naturally water extracted product, is really good. The flavor will send you soaring and you will find a new love for our products. For me, the best bubble beats the best wax.”

It’s clear they’ve got a winning recipe when it comes to growing the best cannabis possible.

“Nothing is ever rushed. Everything is always on cue, so that we know we have a great product well before it hits the shelves.”

Originally published in Issue 15 of Cannabis Now. LEARN MORE

TELL US, have you ever visited a cannabis dispensary?