Environmental impact of cannabis cultivation

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Environmental impact of cannabis cultivation includes all the environmental issues which occur as a result of cannabis cultivation.

Contents

Cannabis agriculture is a massive industry in its scope and extent, yet its environmental impact is much less researched than comparable agricultural products produced at this scale. [1] Many countries around the world are liberalizing their cannabis policy which will make the industry grow, and as the industry grows, so does the urgency to respond to special considerations in environmental impact for this industry. [1]

History

The history of framing cannabis production as an issue of drug use has suppressed discussion about cannabis production as a massive agricultural sector. [2] In places where cannabis is legal to product, discussing environmental impact is still challenging because so many other issues related to cannabis distract from the conversation. [2]

Indoor cultivation of cannabis is common and research intensive. [3] A 2012 study estimated that 1% of energy production in the United States is for cannabis production, giving cannabis a substantial carbon footprint. [3] That same study could not identify energy analysts or policymakers who had addressed the issue. [3] The study noted that indoor cultivation is mostly a consequence of illegality, and if cannabis were legal, then outdoor cultivation would greatly lower this use of electricity. [3]

A United Nations report compared the environmental impact of cannabis against other drugs and found that cannabis pollutes less with dangerous chemicals. [4] Black market cannabis production does tend to disrupt fragile and remote environments due to the farmers hiding the crop rather than using conventional farmland. [4] [5]

Cannabis plants can produce volatile organic compound in great enough amounts to increase the criteria air pollutants in indoor and outdoor environments. [6] This could create an occupational health hazard in areas with large numbers of plants. [6]

Cannabis in California is a frequent focus of study. One study found that cannabis production diverts water from watersheds. [7] Encroachment in public land has been a frequent occurrence. [8] Various legal pressures in California has led some production to be indoors. [9] Getting quality data in California has been a challenge. [10]

Cannabis in comparison to other crops could be an environmental benefit. [11]

There is a trend towards an increase in the number of cultivators who are using sustainable methods for growing cannabis. To improve the soil, they mainly use: special AACT inoculations, growing companion crops, and even grazing goats, which loosen and aerate the soil with their hooves, and their droppings are used as a natural fertilizer. [12]

Energy Usage

Most regulated cannabis in the United States is grown indoors. Growing market-quality cannabis indoors requires intensive production conditions supported by a continuous input of electricity. Indoor cannabis cultivation requires climate management to produce optimal growing conditions, including specialized lighting, water management, and HVAC systems. These indoor environmental controls prevent crop loss and optimize yield, but often demand large amounts of electricity. Cannabis cultivation consumed approximately 0.11 percent of all electricity used in the US in 2017, while regulated cultivators used 0.03 percent. However, actual electricity consumption by cannabis cultivators may be much higher— up to and potentially exceeding 1 percent of total US electricity consumption. [13]

Some cannabis cultivators manage their electricity consumption by integrating power generation sources like solar panels. They may also utilize LED lighting and other efficiency measures to lower energy usage. However, energy investments are expensive and significant capital is required up front to integrate. [13]

Related Research Articles

Sustainable living describes a lifestyle that attempts to reduce the use of Earth's natural resources by an individual or society. Its practitioners often attempt to reduce their ecological footprint by altering their home designs and methods of transportation, energy consumption and diet. Its proponents aim to conduct their lives in ways that are consistent with sustainability, naturally balanced, and respectful of humanity's symbiotic relationship with the Earth's natural ecology. The practice and general philosophy of ecological living closely follows the overall principles of sustainable development.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cash crop</span> Agricultural crop grown to sell for profit

A cash crop, also called profit crop, is an agricultural crop which is grown to sell for profit. It is typically purchased by parties separate from a farm. The term is used to differentiate marketed crops from staple crop in subsistence agriculture, which are those fed to the producer's own livestock or grown as food for the producer's family.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hemp</span> Low-THC Cannabis plant

Hemp, or industrial hemp, is a botanical class of Cannabis sativa cultivars grown specifically for industrial or medicinal use. It can be used to make a wide range of products. Along with bamboo, hemp is among the fastest growing plants on Earth. It was also one of the first plants to be spun into usable fiber 50,000 years ago. It can be refined into a variety of commercial items, including paper, rope, textiles, clothing, biodegradable plastics, paint, insulation, biofuel, food, and animal feed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cannabis cultivation</span> Process of planting, growing and harvesting cannabis

This article presents common techniques and facts regarding the cultivation of cannabis, primarily for the production and consumption of its infructescences. Cultivation techniques for other purposes differ.

Fungiculture is the cultivation of fungi such as mushrooms. Cultivating fungi can yield foods, medicine, construction materials and other products. A mushroom farm is involved in the business of growing fungi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Environmental vegetarianism</span> Type of practice of vegetarianism

Environmental vegetarianism is the practice of vegetarianism that is motivated by the desire to create a sustainable diet, which avoids the negative environmental impact of meat production. Livestock as a whole is estimated to be responsible for around 15% of global greenhouse gas emissions. As a result, significant reduction in meat consumption has been advocated by, among others, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in their 2019 special report and as part of the 2017 World Scientists' Warning to Humanity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vertical farming</span> Practice of growing crops in vertically stacked layers

Vertical farming is the practice of growing crops in vertically stacked layers. It often incorporates controlled-environment agriculture, which aims to optimize plant growth, and soilless farming techniques such as hydroponics, aquaponics, and aeroponics. Some common choices of structures to house vertical farming systems include buildings, shipping containers, tunnels, and abandoned mine shafts. As of 2020, there is the equivalent of about 30 ha of operational vertical farmland in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Legalization of non-medical cannabis in the United States</span> Legalization of marijuana in the United States

In the United States, the non-medical use of cannabis is legalized in 23 states and decriminalized in 8 states, as of May 2023. Decriminalization refers to a policy of reduced penalties for cannabis offenses, typically involving a civil penalty for possessing small amounts, instead of criminal prosecution or the threat of arrest. In jurisdictions without penalty the policy is referred to as legalization, although the term decriminalization is sometimes used for this purpose as well.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jorge Cervantes</span>

Jorge Cervantes is the pen name of George Van Patten, an American horticulturist, publisher and writer specializing in indoor, outdoor, and greenhouse cultivation of medical cannabis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Green-collar worker</span> Environmental-sector worker

A green-collar worker is a worker who is employed in an environmental sector of the economy. Environmental green-collar workers satisfy the demand for green development. Generally, they implement environmentally conscious design, policy, and technology to improve conservation and sustainability. Formal environmental regulations as well as informal social expectations are pushing many firms to seek professionals with expertise with environmental, energy efficiency, and clean renewable energy issues. They often seek to make their output more sustainable, and thus more favorable to public opinion, governmental regulation, and the Earth's ecology.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Green growth</span> Economic growth that is environmentally sustainable

Green growth is a concept in economic theory and policymaking used to describe paths of economic growth that are environmentally sustainable. It is based on the understanding that as long as economic growth remains a predominant goal, a decoupling of economic growth from resource use and adverse environmental impacts is required. As such, green growth is closely related to the concepts of green economy and low-carbon or sustainable development. A main driver for green growth is the transition towards sustainable energy systems. Advocates of green growth policies argue that well-implemented green policies can create opportunities for employment in sectors such as renewable energy, green agriculture, or sustainable forestry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cannabis in California</span> Legality, use and culture of medical and recreational cannabis in California

Cannabis in California has been legal for medical use since 1996, and for recreational use since late 2016. The state of California has been at the forefront of efforts to liberalize cannabis laws in the United States, beginning in 1972 with the nation's first ballot initiative attempting to legalize cannabis. Although it was unsuccessful, California would later become the first state to legalize medical cannabis through the Compassionate Use Act of 1996, which passed with 56% voter approval. In November 2016, California voters approved the Adult Use of Marijuana Act with 57% of the vote, which legalized the recreational use of cannabis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Water-energy nexus</span>

The water-energy nexus is the relationship between the water used for energy production, including both electricity and sources of fuel such as oil and natural gas, and the energy consumed to extract, purify, deliver, heat/cool, treat and dispose of water sometimes referred to as the energy intensity (EI). Energy is needed in every stage of the water cycle from producing, moving, treating and heating water to collecting and treating wastewater. The relationship is not truly a closed loop as the water used for energy production need not be the same water that is processed using that energy, but all forms of energy production require some input of water making the relationship inextricable.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cannabis in Morocco</span> Use of cannabis in Morocco

Cannabis in Morocco had been illegal since the nation's independence in 1956, reaffirmed by a total ban on drugs in 1974, but was partially tolerated in the country. Cannabis has been cultivated in Morocco for centuries and the country is currently among the world's top producers of hashish. As of 2016, Morocco was the world's top supplier of cannabis. On May 26, 2021, the Moroccan parliament voted to legalize the use of cannabis for medical, as well as cosmetic and industrial purposes.

Cannabis in Ecuador is legal for personal consumption in quantities of up to 10 grams. The sale of marijuana is illegal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cannabis in Japan</span> Use of cannabis in Japan

Cannabis has been cultivated in Japan since the Jōmon period of Japanese prehistory approximately six to ten thousand years ago. As one of the earliest cultivated plants in Japan, cannabis hemp was an important source of plant fiber used to produce clothing, cordage, and items for Shinto rituals, among numerous other uses. Hemp remained ubiquitous for its fabric and as a foodstuff for much of Japanese history, before cotton emerged as the country's primary fiber crop amid industrialization during the Meiji period. Following the conclusion of the Second World War and subsequent occupation of Japan, a prohibition on cannabis possession and production was enacted with the passing of the Cannabis Control Law.

The cannabis industry is composed of legal cultivators and producers, consumers, independent industrial standards bodies, ancillary products and services, regulators and researchers concerning cannabis and its industrial derivative, hemp. The cannabis industry has been inhibited by regulatory restrictions for most of recent history, but the legal market has emerged rapidly as more governments legalize medical and adult use. Uruguay became the first country to legalize recreational marijuana through legislation in December, 2013. Canada became the first country to legalize private sales of recreational marijuana with Bill C-45 in 2018.

Agricultural expansion describes the growth of agricultural land especially in the 20th and 21st centuries.

The environmental impacts caused by the production of illicit drugs is an often neglected topic when analysing the effects of such substances. However, due to the clandestine nature of illicit drug production, its effects can be highly destructive yet difficult to detect and measure. The consequences differ depending upon the drug being produced but can be largely categorised into impacts caused by natural drugs or caused by synthetic/semi-synthetic drugs. Natural drugs refer to drugs which are primarily extracted from a natural source such as cocaine or cannabis. Synthetic drugs are produced from material that can't be found in nature and semi-synthetic drugs are made from both natural and synthetic materials such as methamphetamine and MDMA. Drug policy is a large determinant on how organisations produce drugs and thereby, how their processes affect the environment, thus prompting Government bodies to analyse the current drug policy. It is inevitable that solutions to such environmental impacts are synonymous with solutions to overall illicit drug production, however many have noted the reactionary measures undertaken by government bodies and elevate the need of preventative measures instead.

Michael Wang is a distinguished fellow, a senior scientist, and director of the Systems Assessment Center of the Energy Systems Division at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory. He is also a faculty associate in the Energy Policy Institute at The University of Chicago; a senior fellow at the Northwestern-Argonne Institute of Science and Engineering at Northwestern University.

References

  1. 1 2 Butsic, Van; Brenner, Jacob C (1 April 2016). "Cannabis (Cannabis sativa or C. indica) agriculture and the environment: a systematic, spatially-explicit survey and potential impacts". Environmental Research Letters. 11 (4): 044023. Bibcode:2016ERL....11d4023B. doi: 10.1088/1748-9326/11/4/044023 .
  2. 1 2 CARAH, JENNIFER K.; HOWARD, JEANETTE K.; THOMPSON, SALLY E.; GIANOTTI, ANNE G. SHORT; BAUER, SCOTT D.; CARLSON, STEPHANIE M.; DRALLE, DAVID N.; GABRIEL, MOURAD W.; HULETTE, LISA L.; JOHNSON, BRIAN J.; KNIGHT, CURTIS A.; KUPFERBERG, SARAH J.; MARTIN, STEFANIE L.; NAYLOR, ROSAMOND L.; POWER, MARY E. (2015). "High Time for Conservation: Adding the Environment to the Debate on Marijuana Liberalization". BioScience. 65 (8): 822–829. doi:10.1093/biosci/biv083. ISSN   0006-3568. JSTOR   90007339. PMC   4776720 . PMID   26955083.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Mills, Evan (July 2012). "The carbon footprint of indoor Cannabis production". Energy Policy. 46: 58–67. doi:10.1016/j.enpol.2012.03.023.
  4. 1 2 Armstead, L. (1992). "Illicit narcotics cultivation and processing: the ignored environmental drama". UNODC - Bulletin on Narcotics. United Nations : Office on Drugs and Crime. 44 (2): 9–20. PMID   1302602.
  5. ↑ Butsic, Van; Carah, Jennifer K; Baumann, Matthias; Stephens, Connor; Brenner, Jacob C (5 December 2018). "The emergence of cannabis agriculture frontiers as environmental threats". Environmental Research Letters. 13 (12): 124017. Bibcode:2018ERL....13l4017B. doi: 10.1088/1748-9326/aaeade .
  6. 1 2 Ashworth, K.; Vizuete, W. (17 February 2017). "High Time to Assess the Environmental Impacts of Cannabis Cultivation". Environmental Science & Technology. 51 (5): 2531–2533. Bibcode:2017EnST...51.2531A. doi: 10.1021/acs.est.6b06343 . PMID   28212013.
  7. ↑ Bauer, Scott; Olson, Jennifer; Cockrill, Adam; van Hattem, Michael; Miller, Linda; Tauzer, Margaret; Leppig, Gordon; Bohrer, Gil (18 March 2015). "Impacts of Surface Water Diversions for Marijuana Cultivation on Aquatic Habitat in Four Northwestern California Watersheds". PLOS ONE. 10 (3): e0120016. Bibcode:2015PLoSO..1020016B. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0120016 . PMC   4364984 . PMID   25785849.
  8. ↑ Mallery, Mark (2011). "Marijuana National Forest: Encroachment on California Public Lands for Cannabis Cultivation". Berkeley Undergraduate Journal. 23 (2).
  9. ↑ Arnold, Jessica (May 2013). Energy consumption and environmental impacts associated with cannabis cultivation. Humboldt Digital Scholar (Thesis). Humboldt State University. hdl:2148/1461.
  10. ↑ Short Gianotti, Anne G.; Harrower, Jennifer; Baird, Graeme; Sepaniak, Stephen (February 2017). "The quasi-legal challenge: Assessing and governing the environmental impacts of cannabis cultivation in the North Coastal Basin of California". Land Use Policy. 61: 126–134. doi:10.1016/j.landusepol.2016.11.016.
  11. ↑ Deeley, Marc R. (January 2002). "Could Cannabis Provide an Answer to Climate Change?". Journal of Industrial Hemp. 7 (1): 133–138. doi:10.1300/J237v07n01_11.
  12. ↑ Braslavskaia, Lana; Kudialis, Chris (September 2021). "Sustainability In The Cannabis Industry". AskGrowers.
  13. 1 2 Byrne, Genevieve (March 15, 2023). "Energy and Equity in Cannabis Cultivation" (PDF). Institute for Energy and the Environment, Vermont Law and Graduate School. Retrieved April 27, 2023.
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