The California cannabis industry is now in its second year of legalization—and excitement within the industry is building. Experts in the Coachella Valley have been diligently preparing their forecasts for 2019—so we decided to ask them what they’re expecting to happen.

One leader in the industry is predicting great things for 2019. Adrian Sedlin, CEO of Canndescent, which has a large grow facility in Desert Hot Springs, is expecting the industry to boom as legalization spreads globally.

Sedlin notes that in 2018, the adult-use cannabis market tripled in population size, and says that as the industry grows with adult use, so will production. He also thinks the political arena is looking better for legalization, as more political candidates are promoting federal legalization.

“Many critics argue that California made a mess of things in its first year regulating adult-use cannabis,” Sedlin said. “(The year) 2019 will prove far more prosperous for license-holders as operating a cannabis business without a license will finally become a felony.” 

The economic potential in the Coachella Valley is huge, considering the amount of open land and the potential for cannabis-industry growth here. Brent Buhrman, CEO of Nationwide Cannabis Funding and president of the Coachella Valley Cannabis Alliance Network, is predicting the industry in the valley “will see an explosion of growth as new cannabis development becomes vertical and operational.” Buhrman also expects real estate in the valley to hold its value, especially with many cannabis investors who were waiting for two things to happen that, well, just happened: the passage of the Farm Bill and the departure of Attorney General Jeff Sessions. These investors are “ready to play ball,” says Buhrman, “and the watchers are now ready to jump into the game.” Buhrman predicts the Coachella Valley will see a new wave of people and companies come forward as a result.

With the industry starting to mature, Sedlin does expect some—no pun intended—weeding out to occur. He foresees stocks changing drastically, and as a result, the “high-profile sackings” of two or three high-profile CEOs at publicly owned cannabis companies.

Other seasoned cannabis entrepreneurs see different transitions on the horizon. Eric Crowe, of Cathedral City-based Mystic Valley CBD, who has been on the forefront of the Colorado cannabis industry for the last 15 years, predicts Coachella Valley happenings will mirror much of what was seen in Colorado. Crowe is predicting a clearing in the industry, which will lead to legitimacy and credibility as well as a surge in canna-tourism. This surge, Crowe states, “will created unprecedented economic growth in the valley, which will include all ancillary business, such as construction, hospitality and all business trades.”

Crowe cautions that lessons learned from Colorado should be heeded as the Coachella Valley cannabis industry expands.

“All industry in the valley, in some way, will come to depend on the cannabis industry, and as it morphs and grows, oversaturation will happen,” he said.

As happened in Colorado, Crowe anticipates the quality and quantity of the goods in the market will reach capacity, which will result in price reductions and many companies closing as a result. Like Buhrman, he predicts this will allow a new group of players to come to the table. Crowe thinks some of the new business emphasis will be on medicinal uses for hemp, specifically 100 percent certified organic growth and production. He expects that the success of some within the industry will depend on new technology; for example, his company uses reverse-engineered sound-wave technology, which focuses on the DNA of the hemp plant in order to produce the highest level of CBD full-spectrum concentrations.

The economic outlook for the cannabis industry in 2019 and beyond looks very promising—but those in the industry will need to change along with the demands of the industry.

Robin Goins is a business consultant for DR.G Consulting and works extensively in the cannabis industry in the Coachella Valley. For more information, visit www.drrobingoins.com.