Chasing Destiny

For many years, the term “BC Bud” was used to describe high-quality cannabis grown in Canada’s western-most province. Over time, the name gained enough notoriety that British Columbia rivaled California’s Emerald Triangle as the epicenter of illegal marijuana production in North America, according to law enforcement officials.

Busts regularly happened along the U.S./Canadian border and there was even a major theatrical film called “Kid Cannabis” based on the true story of an Idaho teenager who smuggled tons of marijuana into the U.S. from British Columbia.

Things have calmed down over the last few years as production in U.S. states with legal, recreational marijuana surpassed cannabis grown in British Columbia. Gone now are the days when news stories of border arrests and mules carrying BC Bud across the Cascade Mountains into Washington state were a regular occurrence.

Destiny Grow Systems co-founder Jamie Morrison remembers those days well. Morrison is considered an old hand in British Columbia’s cannabis industry and can trace his roots back more than 20 years to a time when medical marijuana was in its infancy and the business was mostly underground.

Today, Morrison’s business is squarely in the sunshine and he’s using that experience to help others produce the type of top-shelf cannabis that his home province has become known for around the world.

Destiny

Growing in the hills and mountains of Eastern British Columbia was hard work, but yielded a wealth of information on best practices for cannabis production in northern latitudes. The ongoing research and evolution of the business eventually led Morrison to develop a method of nutrient additives and soil he called the Destiny Grow System, which in turn, precipitated a series of breakthroughs and new products — all of which are based on organic crop production principles, emphasizing simplicity and a partnership with nature.

The Dark Matter soil blend is the company’s flagship product. “Beneficial microbes and fungi in the soils orchestrate nutrient flow through complex symbiotic processes, which maximize uptake to the plants,” Morrison says.

Also included in the Destiny Grow Systems line are several other products designed to maximize yield in cannabis while working in conjunction with nature. Ignition is a microbial tea blend; Launch is a flower-boosting top dress; and Amplify is a water-treatment additive. The products are available in the U.S., but must be ordered directly from the Destiny Grow Systems website.

Early Beginnings

The story of Destiny Grow Systems and how it evolved goes back to the late 1980s, when Morrison, a Canadian native, spent time in Southern California.

His experiences in Manhattan Beach and the South Bay cities of Los Angeles County were exciting times. He started a house painting business and made enough money to afford surf trips to Mexico, lots of concerts and a lifestyle most can only dream about.

But it all came to an end in 1992 when the L.A. riots changed his thinking. He and several friends stood guard at his girlfriend’s father’s sporting goods store as neighboring retailers were looted, burned and destroyed.

Morrison decided shortly thereafter to return to Canada. After a few weeks of prep, he got on his mountain bike and pedaled more than 1,200 miles home. As Morrison puts it, “Peddling 10 to 12 hours a day for a month gives you a lot of time to think.”

Back in Canada, he met up with an old friend who had a plan. Together, they decided to grow top-shelf, organic, sun-grown cannabis in eastern British Columbia’s sunny Okanagan Valley. The pair made an early connection with Gaia Green Products, which manufactures a complete line of organic plant nutrients. Within a few years, the two growers were producing sun-grown marijuana that gained a wide reputation for quality. Their brand was known locally as Holy Grail. Morrison loved his new side business and decided to learn all he could about creating the finest quality bud.

By the early 2000s, Morrison began to realize that his part-time side business could evolve into something bigger. As his knowledge advanced, he remained firmly convinced that low-impact, sun-grown cannabis was the wave of the future.

However, his path forward wasn’t without a few bumps in the road.

“There was a saying back then: ‘Grow three plants. One for the police, one for the thieves and one for yourself,’” Morrison says.

Luckily, he avoided major disasters, but did experience several thefts. This necessitated moving his gardens to increasingly remote hills and valleys, which led to a rapid evolution in grow methods. While those early days had their challenges, his business and reputation steadily grew. It was also helped by his Gaia Green connection and some good old-fashioned coaching by friends from California, who were more than willing to offer advice to their Canadian buddy. As the decade advanced, BC Bud moved mostly indoors and “the quantity grew exponentially, while the quality rapidly declined,” Morrison says. After a short stint growing under lights, Morrison returned to what he knew best: producing high-quality cannabis outdoors in the sun-drenched Kootenay Mountains.

“We saw big changes in the mid-2000s, as the subject of marijuana became big politically,” Morrison says. “Also around that time, the idea of legitimate medical marijuana became widely accepted, and growers actually started talking to each other and sharing ideas. Things started moving forward quickly.”

High-Altitude Cannabis

Producing cannabis at altitude in western Canada is not without challenges. Eastern British Columbia is mostly sunny and warm in the summer — the lower Okanagan Valley can exceed 110 degrees on a hot day. However, the grow season is far shorter than Northern California or Southern Oregon.

This seasonal brevity required the development of strains and techniques that reflected the environment.

“We grow at about 3,000 feet, so our weather issues are amplified,” Morrison says. “I remember shaking snow off plants in late September on occasion.”

Morrison focused on fast-flowering, early-maturing cannabis that grew well in the mountains. One of his early favorites was a purple Nepalese strain.

“It was one of the best we ever had,” he remembers. “It was resistant to mold and mildew, had an incredibly fruity nose and would turn almost black with translucent, pinkish, purple hues throughout.”

Aside from strain choice, Morrison’s techniques and nutrients helped set his product apart from competitors, something he has turned into the Destiny Grow Systems series of additives.

Morrison is excited about the future of the Destiny Grow products and is often cited as a rare example of a cultivator who took the knowledge he gained in the field and applied it to products that are marketed and sold to fellow growers.

With Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stating publicly that he wants to further liberalize Canada’s marijuana laws, plans have been put in motion for full legalization of recreational cannabis by July 2018. If this happens, our northern neighbor will be moving in the same direction as the U.S. and many other Canadian growers will have the opportunity to share accumulated knowledge with their U.S. counterparts.

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