Are Cannabis Crops Too Hungry for Energy?
The recreational use of cannabis became legal in California on January 1st, 2018 after voters passed Proposition 64 in November, 2016. Close to 170 cities in California now have some sort of cannabis regulations and many are working to allow cannabis businesses in their municipalities. In this rapidly growing industry, there is lots of energy and electricity being used. States with some form of legalized cannabis have implemented stringent regulatory and licensing mechanisms with regard to the who, what, where and how of cannabis possession, cultivation, and distribution. However, policymakers have failed to address an important area: the cannabis industry’s energy and climate impacts.
Although cannabis is a plant, it is not the most “green” product when grown indoors. As more states, and possibly Congress, consider legalizing the cannabis industry, many question what is being done to make it environmentally sustainable.
Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) is a form of “Protected Agriculture.” In its simplest form, CEA aids plants in environments in which they could not thrive or possibly even survive without some human intervention. In Southern California, Cannabis will primarily be produced indoors. Indoor cultivation requires electricity to power high-intensity lights, frequent air exchanges and ventilation, and to maintain consistent temperatures and humidity levels day and night. As a result, the state now has numerous indoor warehouses that consume huge quantities of electricity.
According to the Northwest Power and Conservation Council, which carries out energy planning for the Columbia River Basin states (Montana, Idaho, Washington and Oregon), growing Cannabis indoors consumes up to 5,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity per kilogram of output. For comparison, aluminum production requires about 16 kilowatt-hours per kilogram.
“Water! Waste! Energy! These three factors are a huge part of the Cannabis industry, and the economic side is being discussed but what about environmental stuff?”
There is a lot of research being done on the impact Cannabis will have on the Environment at Whittier College. Dr. Cinzia Fissore, is an Assistant Professor in Biology and Environmental Science at Whittier College, where she teaches Environmental Science, Soil Science, and Long-Term Environmental Change. Fissore also manages projects related to water and energy conservation for organizations such as Energized Solutions and the Minnesota Board of Water. When asked about this growing field and why she decided to research the links of cannabis to the environment, Fissore said, “There is lots of buzz around the economic impact of cannabis with tax revenue and labor, but much less has been discussed about the environmental impact. Water! Waste! Energy! These three factors are a huge part of the Cannabis industry, and the economic side is being discussed but what about environmental stuff?”
During this past school year, Dr. Fissore hired a couple of students to do research on the link between cannabis and energy. Ruiqing Zhu is a fourth year at Whittier College who will be receiving a degree in business with concentrations in finance, international business, and marketing. He interned on the cannabis project and feels that indoor growing “is definitely the most logical and appropriate method in California. It has low environmental impact and is highly controllable.”
Dr. Fissore’s other research assistant, Alya Kingsland enjoys interning on the project because “indoor cannabis production is a business that has so much potential.” Kingsland feels that “currently the issue facing indoor cannabis growing is that it is super energy intensive and not very energy efficient and sustainable. The energy used for lighting and ventilation is very ‘dirty’ and environmental economists believe that there is room for improvement.”
The best time to address the issues discussed above is now. This industry is rapidly growing and with this growth comes an interest in sustainable versus unsustainable growing practices. If addressed before harmful practices become widespread, the industry can better mitigate the damaging impacts that would be done to the environment.
If you’re a student at Whittier College that would like to help do research on Cannabis & Environmental Sustainability, you can reach out to Dr. Fissore and join her research team.
In addition, if you’re an interested consumer, check your City Website, like the Los Angeles Department of Cannabis Control for news of legal cannabis ordinances.
