the ACTION issue leafmagazines.com
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REGENERATIVE ORGANIC AGRICULTURE Prior to 1996, nowhere in the United States had legalized Cannabis. And while progress has been slow over the past 25 years, the country has witnessed steady improvements allowing for the medical use of Cannabis in 36 states. With New Mexico’s most recent legislative success, 17 are now considered legal Cannabis states. But with great power comes great responsibility. A 2017 study by Ithaca College found large-scale commercial production of Cannabis destructive to the local environment. Northern states rely heavily on the use of artificial indoor operations, which are ideal for maneuvering the difficulties of cold climates. The indoor cultivation of Cannabis requires an enormous amount of electricity, relying on high-intensity bulbs, ventilation, dehumidifiers and air-conditioners to power production. Without land-use policies to limit its environmental footprint, the impacts of Cannabis farming could get worse, the study showed. Until then, the onus of nurturing Mother Earth’s finite resources rests in the hands of the growers. Many will chase the dollar, consequences be damned. Others have their eyes on leaving the world a better place than they found it.
mAY 2021
Aaron Howard, Mason Walker and Nathan Howard. East Fork Cultivars
Naomi Lamb Top Hat Concentrates
CREATING SUSTAINABLE CANNABIS BUSINESSES
BLAZING THE TRAIL
“We are in a climate crisis,” said Oregon resident and activist Les Szabo. “We can’t talk about expansion without thinking about the environmental disruptions this industry could create.” Szabo is a board member for Sun+Earth Certified, a nonprofit regenerative organic certification program for the Cannabis industry. Regenerative organic certification is considered the new high-bar in growing standards, covering soil health, animal welfare and worker fairness in a single certification. The company’s goal is to have its Cannabis and hemp farmers making high-quality, organic products while leaving a positive impact on the local environment. “It goes a little deeper into ethical land stewardship,” said Executive Director Andrew Black. “Our approach focuses on no-till, mulching, composting and cover-cropping as essential parts of the farm.” Sun+Earth Certified opened its doors on Earth Day 2019 with a pilot program that featured 14 partnering farms. In two years of operations, the company has expanded to 45 partners, covering California, Colorado, Michigan, Oregon, Washington and Wisconsin. “We’ve been really happy with the progress,” said Szabo. “This type of certification makes sense to both the producer and consumer.” ONE STEP FURTHER
While they don’t share a partnership, Top Hat Concentrates (THC) Alaska embraces the same farming values as Sun+Earth Certified. “It all starts with clean Cannabis,” said THC Alaska President and CEO John Nemeth. “We believe Cannabis is medicine that helps people in a myriad of ways, and adding chemicals seems counterproductive.” Based in Juneau, the state capital of America’s northernmost state is run largely on renewable energy by way of hydropower. This has allowed for THC Alaska to minimize its ecological footprint. “Essentially what we’re trying to do is give back more than we take from the environment,” said Head Cultivator Naomi Lamb. Lamb, 33, has been in the industry for 15 years, sharpening her skills in her home state of California before joining the team in 2015. In Humboldt County, Lamb witnessed firsthand the
