Marijuana is Green, but is it Eco-friendly?

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Marijuana is green, but how green is it? Environmentally, marijuana is not very green at all. Marijuana grow operations may not be as directly responsible for environmental damage as a chemical plant or oil refinery might be, but through the use of water and energy, marijuana is definitely not as green as its color would lead one to believe.

Dangerous drought conditions in California affect 99 percent of the population one way or another, according to Vice News. Still, California’s Emerald Triangle, the counties of Mendocino, Humboldt and Trinity, where most of the state’s marijuana is grown, saw marijuana grow operations double from 2009 to 2012. According to that article, the medical marijuana industry  significantly impacted on water use in California since 1996.

According to the Vice, some argue that there are more effective and efficient ways to use water, such as capturing rainwater, and reusing. The problem is still that water is being used by the industry when it should be going back into the rivers and streams. In California, no more than 10 percent of a stream’s flow may be diverted to irrigation.

Scott Bauer, a representative of California’s Department of Fish and Wildlife pointed out that the regulations have nothing to do with what the plant is, whether it is avocados, tomatoes or marijuana. The regulations in place are about water usage. Bauer also told CNBC that the projected continued growth of marijuana operations could lead to streams going dry, which could effect endangered fish populations.

When it comes to energy, marijuana, given its outlaw past, evolved in as an indoor plant, and therefore grow operations use powerful lights to replace sunlight. As PC Mag pointed out in an article on marijuana energy use, these lights generate a lot of heat. The heat creates a need for air conditioning which sucks up more power. As demand for warehouse operations like this are likely to increase in Colorado, given the state’s granting of wholesale production facilities, so will marijuana’s industrial energy demand.

report published by a group of energy experts, concluded that 1 percent of all the nation’s energy consumption is a result of indoor cannabis production. That equals $5 billion worth of energy, according to the report; enough to power two million homes in the United States. The report estimates that marijuana growing in the U.S., legal or otherwise, emits the same amount of carbon into the atmosphere as three million cars.

In Denver, no one would argue that the smell of marijuana wafting from many an unmarked warehouse is a worse smell than what eminates from the Purina Puppy Chow Factory. Still, anyone visiting the state might be shocked by the smell that hits the nose on Interstate-25 between 6th Avenue and Santa Fe. It is noticeable even with the windows up at 60 miles per hour. While the odor of marijuana might not be worse than the smell of making dog food, the Associated Press reported that plenty of business owners situated next to or near marijuana businesses are upset with the smell, of not just the plants, but the marijuana business clientèle.

These environmental concerns are pitfalls for investors, especially as marijuana legalization spreads throughout the country, and the problem becomes more noticeable. On the bright side, with problems comes the potential to create solutions, and solutions help create money. For instance, systems for water recycling, while still using water, use less and waste less.

To solve energy problems, what would be a better source of energy, or light, than the sun? Maybe inventors and investors can even figure out a way to power grow operations with the smell, though that seems unlikely. In the meantime, anyone who wants to get involved in the cannabis industry should realize that while they may see several shades of green, special attention needs to be paid to an ecological green.

Matt Berg is a writer from Northwest Denver. Matt writes on a range of topics including science, music, motorcycles, politics, sports and more. He is always looking for adventure and his next story to tell. Connect with Matt on Twitter: @tomjoad187.

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