In December 2018, the United States Federal government passed the Farm Bill, which offered a number of advancements for hemp-sourced CBD. This comes with recent consumer interest in the medical benefits of CBD being separated from the drug attributes of marijuana. Overall, society is realizing that CBD has huge potential to serve as a natural remedy, where marijuana has previously been pigeon-holed as a means of getting high.
As more and more CBD farms open up and federal regulation of the substance relaxes, we will continue to see the substance become more sophisticated. In the next 6 years CBD technology and the ways consumers interact with the substance will develop drastically. Here are some of the best predictions for what CBD tech will look in 2025.
- CBD groceries
There are progressively becoming more options for edibles with CBD in them. Mood CBD is one such company that already offers a wide range of products, besides just the standard CBD oils. Major alcohol brands, such as Lagunitas, have launched lines of non-alcoholic beverages with CBD and CBD+THC infused. Overall, with more time and development, there is going to be a wide range of grocery items for people to ingest CBD through.
One of the tricky road bumps though, is that technically the FDA has not cleared CBD to be added to foods and many of the health claims behind CBD have not been verified just yet. As more research comes in supporting the benefits of CBD and regulations are passed to allow more widespread inclusion of CBD in food and beverages, this market trend is only going to grow more common.
- Hydroponic growing operations
Hydroponics is a means of growing plants without soil, but instead using floating pots in water mixed with a mineral-solution. These systems allow for better tailoring of plants, due to control of what minerals the plants are exposed to, as well as superior harvests. Hydroponics as an industry is estimated to grow from $225 million in 2016 to $725 million by 2023.
This technology is already being implemented in the marijuana and hemp industries and as it develops further, will begin to replace tradition field and greenhouse operations. With the adoption of hydroponic grows, consumers can expect that the quality of CBD will increase over the next few years and that an increase in crop yield will lead to an increase in supply.
- High CBD concentration strains
If you talk to anyone who has smoked marijuana over the last few decades, they will be quick to tell you that the plant has changed drastically. Not only has traditional marijuana become much more concentrated with THC over the last few decades, the emergence of what are considered high CBD strains has been a recent trend. This will continue to the point that hemp and marijuana strains will much higher CBD concentration exist.
As CBD concentration increases, byproducts of CBD manufacturing will become more pure and potent. This will change the quality of ingesting CBD and increase the benefits. Furthermore, it should result in an increase in supply and decrease in price. However, high-concentration and high-quality strains may begin to fetch a price premium, due to name brand.
- More complex CBD flavors
Just as strains have become more concentrated over the last few decades, flavors have become more complex and higher quality. While Blue Dream is a classic marijuana strain, there is an annual competition for new strains of marijuana, THC, and CBD products. Each year a plethora of new and unique products are put to the test and judges are consistently amazed at the innovative results.
CBD used to be just a medical substance to help you feel better, but now it can taste good and come in many complex forms. In particular, CBD oils made with different bases help offer easy and delicious ingestion. As product developers put more time into fine-tuning these products, the flavor assortment will drastically improve.
- Energy efficient farming
Some of the biggest problems with marijuana and hemp right now include energy consumption. The farming practices for growing marijuana and hemp results in massive amounts of electricity being consumed over a few months, since the plants are heavily reliant on light. This will likely change though as new breeds of plants are created and new farming practices help reduce the amount of light, electricity, and water needed for a given yield.
This development will help make the CBD industry more environmentally friendly and sustainable. Trends that will likely be major marketing and branding points for CBD products in a few years. Growers can get a jump start on this opportunity by researching how to optimize their growing operations and reducing the energy consumption needed for a yield of CBD.
The CBD industry is still in its early phases. With a rise in consumer demand and more innovators looking for ways to improve its value for society, the technology is likely to change drastically in the years to come. In the next six years, the CBD industry will likely become much more developed and mature than it is today, offering new technological solutions to help more people gain access to the medical benefits of CBD.