April 11, 2023 – Agricultural, Business Owners
Cannabis has been in the spotlight in recent years. The CBD industry is a multi-billion dollar booming business. Cannabis, also known as marijuana or pot, remains a valuable medical tool. States continue to roll back laws surrounding the plant’s uses. Marijuana legalization in 2023 is also a hot topic on a federal level.
What does this really have to do with the fuel industry — and propane, in particular? A surprising amount, actually. Here is a quick overview of how propane can play an unexpected role in growing cannabis both now and in the future.
The State and Forecast of the Cannabis Industry
Every industry has a complex network holding it up. Supply chains, transportation, and construction form a backbone within which all sorts of business can take place — including the burgeoning world of cannabis.
The cannabis market had already reached a $13.2 billion valuation by 2022. Many think the industry will explode in the next decade, too. One estimate has the cannabis market valued at $72 billion by 2030. That would be over 500% growth within a decade.
If that’s the case, it’s good news for cannabis growers, but it also means they have a busy few years ahead. Managing that kind of growth requires the ability to scale production rapidly. That’s where propane comes into the picture.
Propane and Cannabis: Two Peas in a Pod
It’s no secret that propane is already playing a key role in growing cannabis.
As the substance has become legal in more areas, cannabis growers no longer need to hide their plants in their closets or down in the basement. On the contrary, large-scale production is becoming necessary as legalization spreads and demand grows. This is often done in greenhouses. However, as with many agricultural activities, many of these are located on farms in the country, where utilities are unstable or non-existent.
In these remote settings, propane heating systems are ideal for maintaining an affordable, sustainable, and consistent environment. In addition, many cannabis farmers use heat to extract cannabis byproducts like oil, wax, and butter. Propane is a perfect fuel for this process, too. Taken as a whole, it offers multiple benefits, including:
- Installation flexibility, from storing propane on-site to choosing to place a tank above or below ground (a common question Paraco Gas helps its customers make).
- A longer shelf life, making it superior to heating with diesel.
- Affordability due to propane’s relative immunity to inflation and certain propane farm incentive programs that are available.
From flexibility to affordability, propane is already busily making the cannabis farming process a reality on a daily basis.
Fueling Growth in the Cannabis Industry With Propane
While propane is already a fuel favorite of many cannabis farmers, its potential in the industry is set to skyrocket. Farmers will look for ways to expand their production facilities as legalization spreads and demand grows. While some will look for outdoor marijuana farms or facilities, the variation in environmental factors across the U.S. means there will also naturally be more climate-controlled greenhouses.
As the world learns about marijuana 101 and wakes up to the benefits that cannabis offers, propane will doubtless be a key cog in the machine that makes the popular plant available to an ever-growing audience of consumers.