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Punja said the appearance of pests in the regulated industry was predictable. Spider mites, for example, are an issue for growers of almost every crop in B.C.

“It’s certainly not unexpected to see them,” agreed Brown, who works for Biobest Canada.

But other pests are less common.

“Pests that only target cannabis are more difficult to treat. We’ve had less time to study what works,” she said.

Bugs like cannabis aphids aren’t new, but in the previously illegal industry, growers weren’t limited by regulations.

“If they came upon these tricky pests, they could spray something and nobody would know,” she said.

Health Canada regulations forbid the use of chemical pesticides, including some that have been deemed safe for use in food production, meaning growers must depend on an arsenal of organic and biological products, including beneficial insects.

“It’s not as simple as replacing Chemical X with Bug Y,” said Brown.

The specialist helps growers develop pest-control programs that are tailored to their crops, growing style and pest problems. She believes that in time cannabis production and pest-management strategies will become more standardized across Canada.

Punja, too, is at the forefront of disease-management practices. His focus is on identifying the problem and how it arrived at a specific facility, whether it was through movement of plant material or on a worker’s clothing.

Prevention and management often involve cleanliness, as well as the quarantine of infected plants.