Daniel Jordan, founder and CEO of RayWear Clothing Company, tells Jess Owen about his full-spectrum clothing line dedicated to protecting cannabis cultivators from light radiation.
When it comes to cannabis, the focus of discussion is usually on whether to legalise the Class B drug or not, or whether it should be used for medical purposes. Just recently, Canada became the second country in the world to legalise recreational cannabis.
Working with dermatologists and clothing designers, Jordan developed a line of full-spectrum protective gear
Across the US and around the globe, companies are building larger and larger cannabis farms. According to Forbes, in Arizona, Colorado, California, and Oregon, cannabis is being cultivated in greenhouses in excess of 250,000 sq ft that are capable of yielding more than 50,000 pounds of flower. While large-scale Canadian producers are building greenhouses in the millions of sq ft and building similar-sized facilities in Europe and Australia.
Considering the amount of people who must work within these huge farms, there is rarely any discussion regarding the safety of these workers. Growers are subject to harmful light radiation created by modern cultivation environments, and exposure to such radiation has been proven to cause skin cancer among other health issues.
Now, a new clothing company called RayWear specialises in revolutionary gear that can protect workers in the cannabis industry.
The fabric is made from environmentally friendly fibres and provides a 50+ UPF protection
Embarking on a mission
RayWear Clothing Company has embarked on a mission to protect today’s grower community with a line of durable and soft apparel that shields wearers from intense radiation produced by modern grow rooms and prolonged sun exposure to outdoor cultivation.
RayWear’s founder, Daniel Jordan, is a passionate advocate for growers and has been concerned about the health risks of light radiation. He believes cultivators making a living in grow rooms deserve a safe, non-threatening working environment – that’s why he researched light radiation and ways to protect people from it.
“I have been rather libertarian about cannabis since I can remember,” says Jordan. “I never gave it too much thought and I was not a big consumer and never dove into the science and health benefits. That all changed when cancer hit my family really hard back in 2016.
“I lost my grandmother to cancer that year, and a month before she passed, both my grandfather and father were diagnosed stage 4.
“Skin Cancer is a real issue in my family and I always wanted to be in the sun and have a tan. Right after my father passed, a friend of mine brought me an idea about protecting growers from the sun. This was a very important topic and I just took it from there.”
Understanding the protection needed
He continues: “The first thing to mention is that there are zero standards for grower safety. We are the first and only company talking about worker health and safety with regards to light radiation. This is not a bragging or boastful point – there is a need for education and the industry needs to recognise this serious issue.”
Jordan found companies that specialised in UV-protective clothing. Yet, grow lights emit an entire spectrum of light – including UV rays – that harm humans when under prolonged exposure. This means health-conscious workers wearing UV-protective clothing are shielding themselves from a fraction of light spectrum radiation. Radiation is present in the full light spectrum: ultraviolet (UVA, UVB), visible (VR) and infrared (IR).
“Once we began to understand the reality of a grower’s work environment and scope of the issue, it really started to take off,” adds Jordan. “There was so much we didn’t know about and still so much we need to learn.”
Working with dermatologists and clothing designers, Jordan developed a line of full-spectrum protective gear using the best fabric with the highest protective properties for cannabis cultivator use.
“First we had to figure out what we needed to protect against,” says Jordan. “Once we knew this, it was just creating solutions that people would actually want to wear. “I consulted with doctors, radiation specialists and dermatologists. I took what they knew and then aimed that knowledge at the cannabis industry.”
Protective qualities
RayWear’s custom-designed shirts and pullovers are made from a durable, patent-pending fabric that provides complete protection against full-spectrum light radiation.
The fabric is made from environmentally-friendly fibres and provides a 50+ UPF protection – the highest possible rating for clothing.
The design reduces visible light transmission by up to 99% and significantly reduces Infrared Radiation too. Additionally, all fabrics are tested in accordance with the American Association of Textile Chemist and Colourist (AATCC).
“Each type of radiation functions separately than the others and has to be protected independently,” says Jordan. “Just because a shirt stops UV, doesn’t mean it stops visible or IR. So, we needed to create a solution for not just outdoor growers, but indoor growers as well.
“After trial and error, our final product is off the charts. Our fabrics significantly reduce IR, block up to 99% of visible light, and test well above 50+ UPF, which is the highest rating any fabric can achieve. All of this with an incredibly soft and thin fabric. It almost becomes a second skin while you are wearing it.”
RayWear gear is also breathable, lightweight and extremely soft, allowing it to be worn on its own or underneath work overalls and uniforms.
Initially, the company was branded as UVPPE (UV Personal Protective Equipment) for commercial cultivation and large-scale operations. Jordan realised he didn’t want to wait for big operations to make the right decision; he wanted his products available for cultivators and growers who needed protection now.
Jordan selected 4Blooms.Guru, a professional cannabis marketing agency dedicated to the marijuana industry for a full rebrand. With a new strategy, branding, messaging, and digital marketing plan, RayWear Clothing Company is set to launch later this year.
Looking further afield
Although RayWear was designed to help those in the cannabis industry, the technology has many other applications.
“Our fabric has an immense amount of functionality, which is a wonderful problem to have,” adds Jordan. “We are being approached regularly to take our fabric and apply it into other markets, such as Post Office employees, gym wear, running, hiking, cycling, umbrellas, etc.”
Jordan explains that he would love to eventually be able to provide protection to all of those markets and more, but right now his focus is on growers and the cannabis industry.
He says: “They have an immediate need for my gear. I want to protect the people that I created this company to protect.”
