Sustainable Cannabis Cultivation – What Does That Mean?
New Report Shows the Truths and Myths of Sustainable Cannabis Cultivation in the US – LPC
A new report from MG Magazine reveals the truths and myths of sustainable cannabis cultivation. The US-centric article, which mentions Canada once (and not in the context of cannabis), seems to view US cannabis production as the be-all, end-all. However, those in the know can draw close parallels to what is happening in Canada.
To nobody’s surprise, the report reveals that outdoor cannabis cultivation is much more sustainable than indoor and greenhouse production. MG reveals the numbers by quoting a Colorado State University study published in the journal Nature Sustainability (a sub-journal of Nature).
“The study revealed U.S. indoor cannabis cultivation results in life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) of between 2,283 kilograms and 5,184 kilograms of carbon dioxide per kilogram of dried flower. By comparison, greenhouse production without supplemental lighting results in 327 kilograms of carbon dioxide, and outdoor cultivation produces 23 kilograms.”
That means indoor cannabis cultivation generates 100 to 200 times the GHG of outdoor cannabis. It’s not clear from the MG report what is the main cause of that jump – heating, lighting, general operations, etc. Presumably it’s a mix – places like California’s Coachella Valley would need less heating than Indiva in London, Ont. But the report does go on to discuss lighting.
Charlie Kieley, CEO of Coachella-Valley-based Kings Garden Inc., said indoor operations should convert their high-intensity lighting to LED. He said Kings Garden is doing just that by the end of 2022 in its 200,000-square-foot production facility.
“Nobody has all the answers, but in our LED growing trials we are well on our way to defining the methods and formulas for growing high-quality products while reducing electrical load,” Kieley wrote.
It is also not clear how much of an impact that conversion would have on GHG. But what is clear is that LEDs use much less electricity than traditional bulbs. So unless something weird is happening, that conversion should lead to more sustainable cannabis cultivation.
How Craft Cannabis Can Benefit from Sustainable Cannabis Cultivation – LPC
According to the MG Magazine article, some of the largest cannabis grow facilities are in the US’s hottest places: Phoenix, Las Vegas, and California’s deserts. That has been a blow to craft cannabis, MG argues – not to mention sustainable cannabis cultivation.
“While indoor and greenhouse operations account for most US cannabis cultivation, it wasn’t long ago that outdoor, full-season farms supplied the majority of weed for medical markets on the West Coast. In that context, it’s both ironic and unfortunate these same farmers now struggle to compete against large-scale greenhouses and indoor operations.”
Of course, the same is true for craft cannabis in Canada. Expensive regulations and struggles to get shelf space make it tough for craft cannabis producers to compete against larger LPs. But outdoor cannabis is considerably cheaper than indoor due to those same heating and lighting costs. And, although craft cannabis has a disadvantage in size, it has a huge advantage in things like quality control. Efficiency is also an advantage. Smaller operations are much more able to pivot to sustainable solutions like LED lighting, and can likely do it well before the end of 2022.
So sustainable cannabis cultivation isn’t just about the environment, as important as that is. It’s also about making cannabis cultivation cheaper. Reducing energy costs such as lighting and heating can go a long way to cutting overhead. Moving outdoors is all the better. It’s an area where craft cannabis can quickly become a leader.
Click Here to Read the Original MG Magazine Article and Learn the Myths About Water
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