Michael Kudrewicz, Founder and Lead Cultivator at Raven’s View Genetics – Interview Series

When discussing the potential and power of the New York cannabis industry, it’s common to consider only canna-businesses in one of the Five Boroughs. However, there’s tremendous potential north of New York City into Upstate New York and the vastness of that region. Not only are there plenty of major cities, such as Albany and Buffalo, but the climate and natural conditions of certain areas of Upstate New York are usually quite ideal for all types of cannabis cultivation.

To gain a deeper understanding of this expansive region and the deeply personal reasons behind co-founding his own cannabis brand with his wife, Joann, mycannabis.com had the pleasure of speaking with Michael Kudrewicz, Founder and Lead Cultivator at Raven’s View Genetics.

What were your first experiences with cannabis like, and what did you find most appealing and exciting about the plant?

Coming from a Catholic grammar school prior to HIGH school, I had never dated girls. My first Cannabis experience was combined with my first relationship experience. My friend brought me to a house where 2 girls were babysitting. He had rolled up some nasty Mexican brick weed. Seeds and all. What he didn’t know is that when there are seeds in a joint, as they heat up, they start to pop and sizzle, sometimes erupting out of the side of the joint. Like a volcano! Needless to say, this was not a great first-time experience. The high was lacking and not very effective. Mexican brick weed was low on the totem pole as far as potency.

My first experience growing cannabis was planting a few seeds from a bag of weed that I had. We did not have the internet, or any type of available information in regards specifically to growing cannabis. It was all trial and error. So, when I had 2 male plants sprout from these seeds I thought I had some really exotic stuff! I mistakenly thought it was so special to the point that I sold a quarter ounce for twice the going market price. Which at the time was only $20. My sales pitch was so good that the guy that bought it had a wonderful placebo effect. And so, it all started from there.

Prior to founding Ravens View Genetics, what experiences did you and your wife, Joann, have with holistic healing and alternative therapies?

Joann is a nurse and has worked in Corporate Healthcare as an Administrator, but she has owned and operated holistic health practices offering alternative therapies for decades. She educates frequently about the health benefits of Cannabis when the purity of the genetics and grow practices are maintained and the integrity of the original plant is intact.

What in particular encouraged you and Joann to create Ravens View Genetics and what is the story behind the name? I heard that it’s quite a deeply moving reason.

Growing plants of any kind has always been a hobby and passion of mine. At one point we had 3 huge vegetable gardens just for the two of us. Once I started growing Cannabis I fell in love with the versatility and magic of this plant and started to collect Landrace and Heirloom genetics so that I could grow, learn, and ultimately breed. Once I caught the bug I never looked back. As Ed Rosenthal has said, ‘Marijuana may not be addictive, but growing it is.”

In 2015, the sudden loss of our vibrant and deeply spiritual daughter, Nina Keona, left us searching for meaning and purpose. Through a medium, Nina conveyed a message to her father Michael: “when you see the black bird, it is me, coming to you”. This inspired us to create a cannabis business that honors Nina’s passion for holistic health and her love for the plant. Thus, Raven’s View Genetics was born, guided by the wisdom of nature’s pure heirloom genetics and Nina’s spirit as our Raven watching over us.

How would you describe the process of receiving your cultivation license in New York? How arduous did it all become?

The process of receiving the Cultivation License, while a great unknown, was not the most difficult part of the process. Our 4-year Anniversary of licensure is coming up on May 20th of this year. Upon licensure we did everything right. We established an infrastructure, a work force, incorporated the highest standard of compliance practices when there was no actual guidance to follow, and we grew over 1400 lbs of smokeable flower in the first 2 years.

Unfortunately, there were few legal dispensaries open at that time to make sales although the illicit market was flourishing. We had started with so much hope and enthusiasm only to have the bottom drop out from under us. Rather than complaining about the challenges, Joann became active in advocacy and lobbying, working with the OCM to develop guidance for the Cannabis Growers Showcases to provide some earning potential for Cultivators who were financially suffering from the rollout. We also were very active in educating the public at conferences, in schools, workshops, etc. Joann also created a ‘Plant Science and Compliance’ Conference in Buffalo during that time.

What were some difficult roadblocks that RVG first faced when beginning operations? How did your experience as a legacy grower help lessen the effects of those roadblocks?

The significant roadblocks came from the rollout of the industry and the inability to meaningfully earn money in the first few years while spending so much on the company infrastructure.

As a grower, the greatest challenge was in scaling up from 20 plants to 2000. In year one I grew an acre of canopy outdoors in grow pots with an irrigation system that was designed to draw water from the Delaware river into a 1500gal holding tank from which I tested the water, adjusted the Ph, added nutrients, and watered the plants.

The other big first-time experience was harvesting all the plants at once. It took us 2 weeks with 10 employees that first year to harvest. We have gotten significantly more efficient since.

If I hadn’t had the experience of years of cultivating and honing my systems, it would have been much more of a challenge.

From a cultivation standpoint, why is it important to preserve specifically landrace and heirloom genetics in cannabis plants? How are landrace and heirloom strains different from many other strains commonly sold in dispensaries?

My mission as a cultivator is to provide an experience of the plant in its full-bodied nature with a rich cannabinoid profile, offering a unique experience unlike the overly hybridized, solely THC-focused strains. A passion for delivering the plant as nature intended and paying homage to the regions around the World and the growers that shaped the evolution of these Landrace strains, guides me to share my love for the plant with those who seek to experience it.

Additionally, when these pure strains are consumed, they contain the medicinal value of the plant and offer health and healing benefits. Studies now are showing that the high THC products that are so predominant in the marketplace are causing long term harm to health.

What benefits do landrace and heirloom strains add to improving the quality and potency of the cannabis crop?

It all starts with the seed. These genetics are pure. Not hybridized at all or very minimally hybridized. Inherent in the plant are the medicinal values but also, the experience will liken to what we used to smoke – ‘old school’ weed, that is functional, nuanced, and longer lasting. Mother

Nature created this plant. Different geographical regions contribute different effects derived from the soil, sun, water and basic overall environmental conditions. In all honesty, the plant is perfect just as nature intended.

Through hybridization of these pure genetics, we have created strains that accommodate shorter flower times as well as combining different effects from these different regions. Unfortunately, as usual, mankind believes that it knows better than nature and has often decided to override what has been provided to us. Thus, creating genetics that are out of balance to our endocannabinoid system such as a strain that has been bred for a higher THC volume at the sacrifice of terpenes and or cannabinoids. Terpenes have been proven to be a transport mechanism for THC into our bloodstream. When that balance is skewed, we can wind up with an overabundance of THC in our system which can create an unbalanced experience.

What have been some notable accomplishments that Ravens View Genetics has celebrated in the New York industry?

Besides creating product offerings that we are proud to share, we pride ourselves on offering education both through our speaking engagements as well as on our Social Media platforms.

In your opinion, what is special about the New York state cannabis industry and what strengths does that industry possess? Does the usually preferable climate of the Catskills help make the quality of cannabis stronger?

I believe that the NY cannabis market will one day be the most successful in the country but there is still a lot to navigate before it can take its proper place. The Social Equity program was initiated with great heart and intention but unfortunately, this program has not been able to manifest benefits to everyone who was meant to participate.

Unfortunately, the Catskills in general, and our area in particular do not have a great growing climate for cannabis. The season is too short and unpredictable.

What are some exciting future plans for RVG? As the New York cannabis industry expands, how does the brand plan on growing and evolving along with the state industry?

We have just started launching our special genetic products and have also transitioned into an indoor Microbusiness grow facility. This will afford me the opportunity to get even more finetuned with the end product since I can now control the environment. We have already received great feedback from these premium products, and I look forward to continuing to launch more genetics from all over the world.