What happens when the North American cannabis market goes online?

You think North America is green now? Just wait until cannabis is just a click away.

Currently, Canadians can order marijuana products online and have been able to do so for about a year. It is already an $85 million industry—as of June 2019—and growing. And although sending marijuana through the mail, even for medicinal purposes, is still illegal in the United States, eleven states have fully legalized marijuana use for adults.

When people can buy cannabis products online, will your grow operation or dispensary be ready with the right storage? Here’s why it’s important to be prepared:

More customers, more stock

Full legalization throughout North America has been and will continue to be a long, drawn-out process, but it does have strong forward momentum. Experts predict a growth of more than $30 billion between 2018 and 2023—and that’s without an online marketplace.

So as more places open their doors to legal cannabis sales and online marketplaces, grow ops and dispensaries could see demand that eclipses their supply. But not every canna-business has the power to expand, especially if their finances or local regulatory bodies prevent or limit them from doing so.

Vertical grow systems and other mobile storage solutions are ways that many growers and retailers are keeping up with sales growth without expanding their footprint. They use the space they already have and grow incrementally as they attract new customers and service a wider audience.

More stock, more storage needs

In 2018, cannabis was a more than $10 billion industry in the US alone. And that’s when dispensaries are the only show in town: long lines, limited products, and strong governmental scrutiny. So when North Americans have a more convenient online marketplace and a wider catalog of products at their disposal, they’re going to shop around at their leisure.

For grow ops and dispensaries, that means creating safe, comfortable storage for a selection of materials and products. Cannabis farmers need efficient space with perfect environmental conditions for their different strains, and dispensaries that sell flower also need different storage solutions for their edibles, oils, or salves.

More stock, more energy

Indoor marijuana grow operations are energy-hungry businesses that consume 131 times more kilowatts per hour per square foot than their outdoor counterparts. Companies without oversight could overtax local electricity and water utilities beyond what the average business would.

But local governments aren’t asking cannabis growers to use energy wisely; they’re telling them. Efficiency is already a big part of cannabis regulation, so farmers must learn to maximize the energy they use. Vertical mobile grow systems are a step in the right direction, utilizing space-saving and energy-saving technology to grow more with less.

For more information on vertical mobile grow systems and other mobile storage solutions for your grow op or dispensary, contact Montel today or reach out to an Authorized Montel Distributor near you.