Cannabis companies are facing hurdles in the bid to become more sustainable. The industry is still struggling with a lack of access and regulation for medical marijuana patients, as well as an inability to compete against established players like Canopy Growth Corp. Unlike other agriculture crops, cannabis has also lacked public research into various methods of growth. For indoor growers, building regulations can exacerbate energy use, such as insulation requirements which boost the need for air filtration and dehumidification, while packaging and labelling laws require excessive plastic. Industry groups are gradually introducing changes, such as reduced packaging, LED lighting, solar power and water reclamation systems.
Cannabis companies are facing hurdles in the bid to become more sustainable. The industry lacks guidelines on how to achieve sustainability, its illegality for many years leading to a dearth of data to inform best practice. Unlike other agriculture crops, cannabis has also lacked public research into various methods of growth. For indoor growers, building regulations can exacerbate energy use, such as insulation requirements which boost the need for air filtration and dehumidification, while packaging and labelling laws require excessive plastic. Industry groups are gradually introducing changes, such as reduced packaging, LED lighting, solar power and water reclamation systems.