Push for Responsibly Farmed Cannabis

Cannabis, at its core, is an agricultural enterprise. As the model of the massive pot farm becomes more common with the onset of legalization and a growing acceptance of medical cannabis, the environmental impact of this industry needs to be considered as well.

I previously wrote about how cannabis farms have been a detriment to certain ecosystems because they use so much water that they were literally draining streams that were the lifeblood of local biomes. Now, it seems as if our salmon populations are in jeopardy.

“Water use and other actions by the marijuana industry in the Emerald Triangle of Northern California and Southern Oregon are threatening salmon already in danger of extinction, federal biologists said. Concerns about the impact of pot farming were raised by the NOAA Fisheries Service in its final recovery plan for coho salmon in the region…Pot is legally grown in the region for medical purposes and illegally for the black market. Other threats from the unregulated industry include clear-cutting forests to create pot plantations, building roads that send sediment into salmon streams, and spreading fertilizer and pesticides that poison the water. Coho salmon have been listed as a threatened species since 1997 in the region. Like salmon throughout the West, they have suffered from loss of habitat from logging, agriculture, urban development, overfishing and dams.”

I’m definitely a supporter of the cannabis movement, that should go without saying. However, if we ignore the negative aspects of the cannabis industry, we are no better than the ignorant throngs that criminalized weed in the first place or the “scientists” who claim it’s going to kill us all and turn our children into troglodytes.

Those of us on the forefront of this movement have a duty and responsibility to bring about this revolution in a way that is commensurate with the cannabis zeitgeist. As much as I love weed, I love having a thriving planet more than anything else.

Perhaps there will be a day when consumers will begin to demand cannabis that is grown in a way that doesn’t harm the environment. Just like we are seeing more and more organic food options in the grocery store, could we one day see an organic weed selection at your dispensary?

Like any other capitalist enterprise, the consumers (the people with the money) have a lot of power to change things based on where they choose (or choose not) to spend their cash.

This is still a new time for cannabis, we are still finding our footing in a world that is finally beginning to put down the pitchforks. Let’s try to do this the right way from the start.