People rip on Boulder County residents because we’ve somehow mastered the art of being bougie while pretending it’s just our humble attempt to save the planet, which is admittedly insufferable. Oh, you have a freshwater pool in your backyard and only eat local, organic produce? No one cares that your sprinter van is powered by solar panels, Dan. Stop telling everyone you’re “just trying to do your part” and admit that you may be a little pretentious.
And even though we never thought twice about throwing a makeshift water bottle bong out the passenger window in high school when we were paranoid and thought the guy with the roof rack behind us was a cop, for stoners, caring about the environment is an essential part of our personal brand. Marijuana is a gift from the earth and nature is like, so important, you know?
That’s why it was a total buzzkill when the Denver Department of Public Health and Environment released new data showing the local cannabis industry’s long-term energy trends and environmental impact. Industrial grow operations now account for nearly 4 percent of Denver’s total power usage, which is up from 1 percent in 2014, a 400 percent increase in the past four years.
Due to high energy costs associated with its cultivation and production indoors, marijuana is the most energy-intensive agricultural commodity in the state, which is not a good look for bringing the community in line with Denver’s 80×50 Climate Goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent by 2050. While some growers are implementing more sustainable practices, the overall increasing demand is prompting facilities to expand their commercial space and the amount of plants produced.
One pressing issue is that the majority of Colorado’s marijuana is still grown indoors, in part because of the climate, but largely due to laws surrounding the practice. Cultivating indoors became the standard during prohibition because it attracted less attention from law enforcement. Most commercial operations today still take place in warehouses, a process that requires huge amounts of lighting, ventilation, cooling and dehumidifying. While it’s costly and unsustainable, this method allows growers complete control over the conditions, from how hot the warehouse is to how much light the plants receive, allowing a more replicable process with fewer uncontrolled variables.
Growers have been able to bear the costs of high energy bills and environmental degradation because there has been little regulation or financial incentive for them to change their methods. Eco-friendly cultivation practices are not the norm, so it’s difficult to convince farmers, who have only known indoor growing, that it’s possible to reduce their carbon footprint without a decrease in yields and quality.
Other sustainability issues revolve around packaging, transportation and the continued reliance on non-organic fertilizers and pesticides to keep their plants healthy. Improved technology can help cannabis growers make more informed decisions about their techniques. Greenhouses are probably the future for cannabis cultivation because using sunshine would mitigate a lot of the energy costs.
While experience and adaptation have helped the cannabis industry become much more sustainable today than it was when recreational shops first opened in 2014, there is a significant need to broaden the conversation about agricultural practices and how future marijuana policy can use both incentives and regulatory tools to prevent more environmental damage. However, because sector-wide baseline sustainability metrics are not currently available, overall industry sustainability performance remains unverified. Growers and other members of the industry must continue to put pressure on each other to incorporate sustainable practices.
So if you’re a stoner who is super horny for the environment, become more selective about the weed you purchase. Ask questions about where it was sourced and how it was grown. Show dispensaries there is demand for going green. I’m not saying smoking weed can make the world a better place, but it could, in my opinion.
