Case studies

LitHouse

A spark of inspiration

After first discovering cannabis through West coast ties to their midwest upbringing, the Cali-born Harris brothers found themselves on disparate paths after college: biochemistry for Allan, and architecture for Kris. When the prospect of a new life brought them back to the Golden State, love for cultivation and the lifestyle set the stage for a family business – until running afoul of the law shook its foundation to the core. Still, when legalization loomed along the Mendocino coastline, Al and Kris knew there was only one thing to do: Go all in.

Embrace the legacy

“Mendocino county's known for growing outdoor cannabis. The Mendocino coast, it's not as well known, but there was a time period where maybe one out of 20 houses had lights in the garage. We've been hanging lights indoors for 20 years – that's the story behind LitHouse.”

Allan Harris,
Co-Founder LitHouse

A higher purpose

Even after feeling the brunt of prohibition firsthand, the Harris brothers forged ahead first by helping write the regulations (and right the wrongs) so OGs like them could make the transition into the regulated medical market. Becoming the first indoor group permitted under Mendocino’s 9.31 program gave them the green light to serve patients and start a brand. “I wanted to grow legal weed so I could come out of the closet and be proud, hold my head up high in the community, drop my kids off at school, high-five all the other grower dads and just not be ashamed of what we do here,” Allan says.

“What we love doing is being granted the opportunity to have the seeds, pop them, and find new genetic expressions.”

Kris Harris,
Co-Founder LitHouse

“I'm able to pin what the plants may need by viewing what AROYA is doing, what the plants are doing, and what my irrigation schedule is. And now we have more consistency by being able to replicate what we're doing in the rooms that are really working.”

Cesar Saavadra,
LitHouse Cultivation Manager

1st 2nd 3rd

‘22 Emerald Cup Mixed Light Flower Category

The science of consistency

The roadmap to success is like a clear sky at night: full of constellations. Elevating science over gut instinct helped Allan and Kris hone in on their approach to cultivation. While weight per square foot remains a key marker, these days “the LitHouse Way” involves using ocean air instead of CO2 to keep their mixed-light legacy facility cool, selecting cultivars that can be crop-steered to their customers’ standards, and tapping into the data that helps their team replicate what works.

The LitHouse North Star

Using data from AROYA allowed LitHouse to go from manual and guessing to consistent and repeatable. Producing golf ball-sized nugs that fit perfectly in a jar not only put them on the map; it also gave them a leading edge in the most competitive cannabis market in the world. “We've got now our team being able to track a technique and make it and repeat it,” Kris says. “It's no longer a green thumb where it's just intuition. Now it's a set of metrics that we drive towards.”

From OGs to co-founders

For Al and Kris, the path from family business to sweeping the Emerald Cups wasn’t clear, direct, or easy. On the darkest days, passion and resilience helped them stay the course, moving and motivated by something bigger than themselves. And with their recent expansion into Nevada, the brand is poised and ready to bring their award-winning genetics to even more consumers. The future looks bright – that’s the LitHouse Way.