As Pot Prices Plunge, Growers Scramble to Cut Their Costs

Bloomberg Scotts and other agricultural-tech companies tap new market; Harvesting 1,700 pounds of Dirty Girl and Cinderella's Dream.

The increasing supply of legal marijuana is turning into a major buzz kill for growers as prices plunge -- and an opportunity for companies that can help cut production costs.

Prices are tumbling as formerly illicit cultivators emerge from the shadows to invest millions of dollars in massive pot factories. In Colorado, the average price sought by wholesalers has fallen 48 percent to about $1,300 a pound since legal sales to all adults started in January 2014, according to Cannabase, operator of the state’s largest market. Supply is surging as growers expand and install the latest agricultural technology.

by Jack Kaskey