The Federal Marijuana Ban Is Contributing to Climate Change |
Written by <a href="index.php?option=com_comprofiler&task=userProfile&user=37378"><span class="small">Peter Weber, The Week</span></a> |
Friday, 11 June 2021 08:13 |
Weber writes: "Cannabis is the most energy-intensive crop in the U.S."
The Federal Marijuana Ban Is Contributing to Climate Change11 June 21
"Because cannabis remains federally illegal, and the federal government regulates interstate commerce, none of the legal cannabis grown in Oregon or California can cross state lines," Politico's Natalie Fertig and Gavin Bade write. "Instead, each new state that legalizes recreational marijuana must also grow enough to meet consumer demand in that state. This would be like every state in America being required to grow all of the oranges consumed each year by its residents, rather than simply buying them from Florida." Some states and cities require indoor cannabis operations to use energy-efficient LED grow lights or take other steps to mitigate carbon emissions, but "reducing the environmental impact of cannabis in state-siloed markets is not simple — or cheap," Politico says. Allowing the country to buy marijuana grown outdoors on the West Coast may not be a perfect solution either, though, since cannabis also takes water to grow, and water is a critically scarce commodity in Northern California and Southern Oregon. |