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CANNABIS

A GREEN APPROACH TO THE CANNABIS INDUSTRY

As the $32 billion cannabis industry grows with each month, so does its environmental footprint. The production of cannabis is energy intensive, especially for indoor growing operations. Production also takes copious amounts of water and generates waste that, for the most part, isn’t recyclable.

Federal prohibition of the cannabis plant in America has interfered with almost all research on the industry’s environmental effects. Prohibition has halted researchers, like the Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency, from creating solutions to minimize those effects.

Luckily, we are noticing a shift in state regulators and companies stepping in. With the creation of organizations like the Sustainable Cannabis Coalition, we are seeing increased promotion of best practices related to the environmental sustainability of cannabis cultivation and manufacturing.

Here in our state, larger companies are now offering services and equipment to lower power grid usage, such as free grow lights for registered growers. Michigan is also considering ways to make less of an environmental impact when it comes to plant waste management and the recyclability of packaging. Currently, recycling cannabis packaging waste like plastic vials, tubes, and bags is not allowed due to potential cannabis residues. The growing use of cannabis products and the lack of implementations to recycle them, particularly with vape carts and batteries, suggests that we need solutions quickly.

When we opened our first Dunegrass shops, we used ocean-reclaimed plastic for the majority of our flower items. As the market has progressed, we have met with companies that have found clever ways to meet better standards. Some introduce enzymes into the packaging to allow for biodegradability, while others quit using plastic by converting to glass packaging. Still others outside our state recycle their packaging. We are consistently looking into companies and manufacturers that are providing the latest in sustainability measures.

The U.S. and Canada lead the way in legal cannabis for the whole world. If we create a more sustainable and environmentally friendly process of the cannabis plant, then perhaps other countries will absorb those best practices as well. At the end of the day, federal legalization of cannabis is critical to fund research and build solutions for the industry.

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