John Rebchook

When Nancy Whiteman launched the infused products company Wana Brands in Colorado five years ago, the marijuana industry was a completely different animal than it is now.

“There was not the level of regulations 5.5 years ago as there is today,” said Whiteman, who co-founded Wana with her husband at the time. “For example, there was no seed-to-sale tracking.”

“The weed is legal but the herb ain’t green.”

That’s how Gina S. Warren, an associate professor at the Texas A&M University School of Law, sums up the cannabis industry’s energy requirements. As every grower knows, indoor marijuana cultivation requires ample amounts of energy for lighting and temperature-control systems, and of course the plants need plenty of water as well.