As the popularity – and legality – of medicinal and recreational marijuana cultivation increases, facilities to produce the crop are becoming harder to find. Using existing structures for cannabis warehouse space has led to a shortage of commercial lease availability for buildings that can be converted to cultivating and storing marijuana.
In Denver, for example, over the last 18 months marijuana growers and distributors have leased a third of all warehouse space available. The growing and production of marijuana products for distribution takes up a lot of valuable space and most producers are not willing or able to build their own facilities. Conventional warehouse space, although not ideal, is the most suitable space available.
“It seems like every warehouse from 8,000 to 20,000 square feet is being turned into an indoor marijuana farm,” said Tom Glaspern, director of Denver’s SEKO Logistics, to the Wall Street Journal. “We had opportunities [with customers] last year that we just had to turn down because we didn’t have the space.”
In addition to having problems finding warehouse space, the rental costs are also rising. Ten percent in Denver over the last year. Rising lease costs will shut out smaller distributors looking for a conventional cannabis warehouse as well as harming anyone looking to lease any warehouse space.
A cannabis warehouse by any other name
The shortage of space and increased cost suggests that other options for marijuana cultivation and distribution could be found. There is an opportunity for business to fill a genuine need to replace the use of a traditional distribution structure as a cannabis warehouse. Traditional storage methods take too long to build and the cheap tents that can be found flooding the market are fine for growing a few plants, but don’t take into account the issues of distribution. If you are interested in setting up your own grow tent, check out this complete guide.
You can add lighting, heating and cooling, electricity, humidity and moisture controls, clean room environments, dust proofing, and even sterile containment areas.
From our article here about tensioned fabric structures.
With the current popularity of fabric enclosures, the market is ripe for a lower cost solution that utilizes the advantages of fabric and aluminum structures over, for example, metal construction buildings. In addition to having higher initial costs, metal structures also take time to build, are less environmentally friendly and have no allowances made for using natural light as part of the growing process.
Thinking outside of the box
With the modularity inherent in fabric enclosures, adapting them to the growing and distribution of medical or recreational marijuana is a simple process. Natural light can be supplemented with artificial grow lights to help plants reach their full potential. The internal environment can be controlled for the best growing conditions while maintaining a separate environment for the packaging and shipping of the finished product.
Cost and legality are also major factors. Growing marijuana is still a federal offense. In states where it has been legalized growers and distributors have difficulty setting up bank accounts and getting loans to finance their operations. Banks cannot abet an illegal enterprise. The lower initial cost of a fabric enclosure to be used as a cannabis warehouse can help smaller businessmen get their foot in the business.
In addition to the lower cost versus a traditional warehouse, fabric enclosures can also be leased which opens up another avenue for businesses to keep costs down while establishing their business. Leasing a fabric enclosure minimizes many of the problems of renting a traditional warehouse without losing the ability to grow and distribute marijuana in a clean and safe environment.
A growth industry
Legalization of marijuana continues to be one of the hottest trends among states. Most of them have initiatives on the ballot or laws working their way through the system. Taxation of marijuana is a money maker for states and many more will legalize cannabis products in an effort to increase state coffers.
The problems that have already surfaced in Denver, will occur in most states once legalization efforts succeed. Minimizing the problems while maximizing the production of marijuana, by offering an alternative to the conventional cannabis warehouse, will help all aspects of the growing and distribution industry.
Allsite Structure Rentals has the perfect solution for a cannabis warehouse. Our temporary fabric structures are built to last, can be translucent and withstand heavy lighting, and be climate controlled.
Sources:
WSJ, Marijuana Producers Gobble Up Warehouse Space in Denver Area, August 2015, [https://www.wsj.com/articles/marijuana-producers-gobble-up-warehouse-space-in-denver-area-1440495000]
Howtogrowmarijuana.com, Grow Tent – Hydroponic Tents Reviewed, [https://howtogrowmarijuana.com/grow-tent/]
GGS, Marijuana Warehouse Production, [https://ggs-greenhouse.com/marijuana/marijuana-indoor-grows]
Denver Post, Pot-growing warehouses in short supply as demand for legal weed surges, March 2014, [https://www.denverpost.com/2014/03/10/pot-growing-warehouses-in-short-supply-as-demand-for-legal-weed-surges/]
Epic Gardening, Grow Tent Setup, [https://www.epicgardening.com/grow-tent-setup/]
