It’s no secret that the United States’ $13 billion cannabis industry is big business. Less obvious to many is the environmental toll this booming business is taking, in the form of greenhouse gas emissions from commercial, mostly indoor production.
A new study by Colorado State University researchers provides the most detailed accounting to date of the industry’s carbon footprint, a sum around which there is only limited understanding. What is clear, though, is that consumer demand for cannabis is insatiable and shows no signs of stopping as more states sign on to legalization.
The study, published in Nature Sustainability, was led by graduate student Hailey Summers, whose advisor, Jason Quinn, is an associate professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. Summers, Quinn and Evan Sproul, a research scientist in mechanical engineering, performed a life-cycle assessment of indoor cannabis operations across the U.S., analyzing the energy and materials required to grow the product, and tallying corresponding greenhouse gas emissions.
They found that greenhouse gas emissions from cannabis production are largely attributed to electricity production and natural gas consumption from indoor environmental controls, high-intensity grow lights, and supplies of carbon dioxide for accelerated plant growth.
“We knew the emissions were going to be large, but because they hadn’t been fully quantified previously, we identified this as a big research opportunity space,” Summers said. “We just wanted to run with it.”
The CSU group’s efforts update previous work by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory researchers, which quantified small-scale grow operations in California and predated the cascade of state-by-state legalization since Colorado was first to legalize in 2012. To date, 36 states have legalized medical use of cannabis, and 15 have legalized recreational use.
It is called weed for a reason, you do not need hyper expensive indoor operations. Simply make it legal for people to grow their own, problems all vanish. Oh, yea, Democrat Party and other leftist enemies of the human race want more problems. Never mind.
I don’t think green or any other concerns figure materially on the commercial growth of weed. In my “recreational” state, someone ran for city council on a platform of using vacant tear down lots in decaying residential area to raise marijuana. Besides the “green” attributes and to borrow a common phrase from addiction recovery, “If we keep on doing what we’re doing, we’ll keep on getting what we’re getting.”
It seems to me that agricultural processers of grain like ADM could make short work of competition in growing. ADM once had a giant hydroponic farm run on their excess heat and CO2 that they ran just for virtue signals back in the day. Does weed sell for more per pound than tomatoes?
Taxes? Could weed be the new alcohol, tobacco, firearms and gaming? I am sure that my complaints about the ill effects of cannabis use on public safety and society will be used to justify the taxes and while protecting the cash cow.
Illegal cartel operated grow ups are far more damaging to the environment.
Steve Rinella’s podcast did an episode entitled “The Weed Wardens” that details how Conservarion Officers teamed with former Spe-Operators to combat this menace.
Diversion of pristine fisheries for irrigation and a slew of animal poisonings from excessive dosing of pesticides is commonly encountered after raids.
A book on the subject is available on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Hidden-War-Operations-Reclaiming-Wildlands/dp/1946267619
Who knew that potheads will lead the battle against the alarmists?
This reminds me of something. Alex Berenson published a book on the dangers on cannabis and how it causes violence and psychosis. The people who support the legalization of it respond by rants and threats, and don’t seem to realize their ad hominem attacks and threats just proved him right.
I speak from first-hand observation when I say marijuana is neither healthy or safe. Anybody who says otherwise is just bending the facts to fit their narrative.
Neither is alcohol, tobacco, or any number of other products.
Should we outlaw everything that potentially has bad side effects?
Strict rationing of water and oxygen, both are bad in excessive amounts.
“Very smart stupids,” I love it. https://mobile.twitter.com/AlexBerenson/status/1232905160248131584
Alex is full of manure.
Many thing people do is not good for them
My son grew the 4 plants allowed by the Canadian gubmint in My greenhouse. Tech in spades – seeds ‘feminized’, different strains for THC and CBD. Apparently if there is any ‘wildtype’ male pot around it will fertilize the feminized plants and you get seed instead of bud. Harvesting took him several days picking individual buds and separating the leaves out. Even with one plant getting mould, my freezer now has enough for him for years to come.
Got to work on that drying process. Generally hanging plants upside down for first stage of drying makes it a bit easier.
Hmmm…
There is also an insatiable demand for White Castle burgers. Coincidence?
When I first saw this I thought it was from The Babylon Bee…but it was real, bright young ladies!
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9335673/Girl-Scouts-forced-leaders-stop-selling-cookies-outside-Michigan-marijuana-dispensary.html
Anesthetizing the masses as the billionaire elites push us into feudalism with the climate scam.
Seen in that regard, MJ legalization and grow operations support climate change policy.
Among those I know who smoke there is no “anesthetizing” effect, they are just as pissed off about all this leftarded stupidity as those who don’t smoke. Once again leftism creates the exact opposite of its intent.
I have as little use for pot as I do for alcohol, that is none at all.
If you are a typical human, you might have more use for alcohol than you think!
” Endogenous ethanol and acetaldehyde can therefore be regarded as compounds which fulfil substrate, regulatory and modulator functions.”
Ostrovsky PubMed
Strange though, that receptors for both molecules already exist in your body. Either you have already evolved that way, or divine intervention had a previous plan.
That’s because alcohol occurs naturally. I should have said supplemental alcohol.
No evidence for divine intervention, so it must be evolution.
Your body produces alcohol all by itself, albeit in small amounts for most people. Some people have a ‘disorder’ whereby they produce enough alcohol to keep them mildly drunk all the time. They usually need to avoid certain foods like carbohydrates that can easily be fermented.
That is your choice and your opinion and you are entitled to have it.Other people have their own and are entitled to them, when you use armed governmental force to push yours on everyone else that is when problems begin.
Please do relax Hailey and Jason. Cannabinoid production is now in the hands of synthetic biology, which means that you can stop scaring the children about greenhouse gases. The sugar feedstock is totally sustainable, to use one of the phony-leftist bullsh!t words and, even if it weren’t, climate sensitivity to atmospheric CO2 increases has never, and that would be NEVER, been shown to be something other than ZERO when using scientific methods.
Taco Bells near college have the biggest increase in carbon footprint.
During the Covid lockdowns in Colorado our Cannabis shops were allowed to remain open as essential businesses.
The use of cannabis is known to be an independent risk factor in the development of schizophrenia. A Swedish study of army conscripts found that heavy cannabis users at time of conscription were six times more likely to develop schizophrenia than non-users.
I expect with increasing marijuana smoking, we will see a steady increase in cancers of the respiratory system starting in a few years.
I can’t believe with over 100 comments no one has commented on the carbon footprint map. California indoor grows must be using unicorn power and fairy dust for electricity, because last I checked they were the state that was importing the most electricity, and the state they are importing it from has a much higher carbon footprint according to the map. It even appears the closer you get to the Libtard Nexus of San Fran the lower the footprint is.
Iowa and Kansas, which are #1 and #2 in terms of wind energy production per capita, don’t seem to have any influence on the map. And Vermont, which generates almost all of their energy from hydroelectric, also has just as high as a carbon footprint as anywhere else outside the glorious utopia of CA. I’d certainly like to know the secret, probably has something to do with a piece of paper that claims that their indoor grows are only pulling “renewable” energy off the grid.
P.S. It makes me feel dumb just saying ‘carbon footprint’.
The denigration of a product of commercially significant, simply due to one aspect of the plant is disappointing. I am not a pot user, but have followed the research and acknowledge the damage of selected varieties with high THC levels, (SIC) Wiki- (THC), the principal psychoactive constituent. Some strains have been selectively bred to produce a maximum of THC(EQ)
But this has stimmed the commercial use in agricultural use, in many countries.
Valuable Seed and fiber, and wide growing range.
The medical development, extracts from the cannabis plant, being researched for their pain relief properties.
It’s the great battle of the lobbyist spin.
The industry just needs to respond the way Clinton did–“We didn’t inhale.”
Once again the Left takes a bite out of itself on the road to utopia. The ouroboros is gaining steam.
Worldwide legalisation would get production back outdoors. Fingers Crossed!
Mexico legalizes Pot
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/10/world/americas/mexico-cannabis-bill.html#:~:text=MEXICO%20CITY%20—%20Lawmakers%20in%20Mexico,between%20two%20pot-selling%20neighbors.
Fortunately gets lot of sunshine…
duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuude