The energy demands of indoor cannabis cultivation are the most significant contributor to the industry’s environmental footprint. Although policies continue to force grows indoors, there are no industry-wide mandates to impose energy-efficient standards. It is common for cultivators to use high-pressure sodium (HPS) lights to imitate desired growing conditions, whose illumination is on par with those found in an operating room, and 500 times higher than that recommended for reading. Although some cultivators use the more energy-efficient LED lights, their overall environmental benefit within the cannabis industry has yet to be determined. When using LEDs, while consuming less energy, grow cycles tend to be longer and may average out or raise overall energy expenses.
Programs and efforts to produce more environmentally friendly cannabis are starting to develop throughout the industry. Denver currently has the goal to shrink their greenhouse gas emissions 80% by 2050 through boosting the use of renewable energy. In California, MITU Resources, Inc. is planning the commercial introduction of the company’s licensed Wind Shark, a self-starting vertical-axis wind turbine. The integration of the Wind Shark into the CA cannabis sector, it is hoped, will reduce a cultivator’s daily energy expenditure by 10% and their bottom line.
As is the repeated case in the cannabis industry, it continues to grow at such an exponential rate, that supporting industries have difficulty keeping up with it. Energy-efficient practices and standards are no exception to the rule, which also includes data collection, cultivation techniques and technological developments to name a few. States have and continue to, create energy programs to reduce the environmental footprint created by the cannabis industry. Independent certifications and product labeling ensure that companies are making their achievements and impact visible to consumers, thus spreading positive program awareness. Undoubtedly, the cannabis industry will continue to grow before industry-wide energy standards are implemented, however, states, cultivators, and processors are becoming more proactive in these matters. Steps taken now throughout the industry will have a significant impact on reducing the industry’s environmental footprint, as well as further validate the industry.