The Effects Cannabis Cultivation Have on the Environment
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ABSTRACT The growth of the marijuana industry has impacted the economy, the environment and public health in the United States. Although laws legalizing the use, production and distribution of marijuana have progress, they have done so with little regard to the industries impacts on the environment. This paper explores research published addressing the adverse effect that cannabis cultivation can Picture taken from (Field, 2018) have on environmental health. The paper also provides alternative THE EFFECTS CANNABIS options to traditional cultivation to assist in encouraging sustainable and safe cultivation CULTIVATION HAVE ON practices, while focusing on how we can improve the cannabis industry in THE ENVIRONMENT California. Azalia Rivera ENVS 190 Dr. Foran Contents Introduction ..............................................................................................................................................2 Discussion ................................................................................................................................................4 Cannabis biology and origin ................................................................................................................4 Disconnect between State and Federal Government. ...........................................................................6 Challenges in research .........................................................................................................................8 Pesticide and Plant Growth Regulators (PGR) use and regulation ...................................................10 Indoor cultivation ...............................................................................................................................14 Outdoor cultivation.............................................................................................................................15 Waste management.............................................................................................................................18 Conclusion:.............................................................................................................................................22 Figures and Tables..................................................................................................................................23 Works Cited............................................................................................................................................28 1 Introduction The marijuana industry in the United States has expanded significantly as states begin to legalize its production, use and distribution. In 2015, 15 states had legalized the medical use and distribution of marijuana (Carah et al, 2015), supporting a $2.4 billion industry (Butsic and Brenner, 2016). As of 2018, 29 states have legalized the medical use and distribution of cannabis and 9 states including California, have legalized the recreational use and sale of cannabis (Gorrie, 2018). McVey, 2018 estimated that by 2022 the marijuana industry could reach $75 billion (Figure 1). The passing of Proposition 64: the Control, Regulate and Tax Adult Use of Medical Marijuana Act (AUMA) in 2016 made the distribution and cultivation of marijuana legal for both medicinal and recreational purposes in California. As of 2017 the National Institute on Drug Abuse found that 45.2% of US persons ages 12 or older reported using marijuana throughout their lifetime (Table 1) (National Institute on Drug abuse, 2019). AUMA has dramatically increased the demand thus increasing the horticulture of cannabis without much regard to its effects on the environment. Bezdek et al, 2017 reports cannabis production is accountable for 3-6% of the United States electricity consumption and 5- 10% of Californians energy use. Indoor cannabis production alone can consume 6 times more energy than the average commercial business (Bezdek et al, 2017). Cannabis cultivation can involve activities that negatively affect land management practices and further degrade the environment including habitat fragmentation, illegal water diversions, and contaminating water supplies (Short-Giannotti, 2017). Increasingly, evidence has illustrated the environmental effects of cannabis cultivation, particularly the use of pesticides and nutrient additives to ensure the production of a large healthy crop yield quickly. Lack of regulation on pesticide use during cannabis development has 2 resulted in records indicating that the toxicity of pesticides used can vary from causing organ damage to being skin irritant (Cuypers et al, 2017). The effects pesticides have on an individual can depend on how it is ingested. Inhalation has been reported as having the most adverse effects on the body because when inhaled pesticides are absorbed directly into the bloodstream. Cuypers et al, 2017 found evidence that supports the theory that cannabis crops still have traces of pesticides used during the growing period once harvested putting consumers at risk of inhaling pesticide residues. Sullivan et al, 2013 found that nearly 65.9% of glass pipes and water pipes with and without filters tested positive for pesticide residues. Without regulations on pesticide use during developmental stages, cannabis consumers are at risk for hidden toxicological threats. Indoor cultivation typically has high energy demands (Table 2). Indoor cultivation requires a temperature of 75 Degrees and high levels of Carbon dioxide (CO2) to promote ideal outdoor conditions to simulate optimal productivity (Bezdek, 2017). Marijuana farmers will increase the CO2 available in grow rooms because cannabis is a carbon sink and large amounts of CO2 help it thrive. This can be done by burning propane or natural gas within the grow room which requires additional ventilation (Mills, 2012). Although this information is focused more on small scale indoor growing operations, it should still be taken into consideration because there is a large population of growers still partaking in small scale farming. A web survey conducted by The Global Cannabis Cultivation Research Consortium on primarily small scale growers in 11 countries reported that respondents from the US, UK, Canada and Finland were more likely to grow indoors than outdoors (Potter et al, 2015). The survey also reported that 75% of individuals grew their own cannabis because it was cheaper than going out and buying it (Potter et al, 2015). Despite the lack of energy use outdoor cultivation can be detrimental to our environment’s health because of its impacts on land and land management. The offset of 3 California's rainy season and marijuana’s main growing season has created a need for cultivators to locate farms in watersheds where water is readily available through the dry season. The use of pesticides and excessive nutrient runoff in outdoor growing sites pollute and further degraded natural ecosystems. Northern California is popular for outdoor cannabis cultivation because of its secluded forest, especially prior to the legalization of cannabis production. This is problematic, specifically in secluded natural landscapes like the “The Emerald Triangle” which has become increasingly at risk for habitat fragmentation and deforestation (Wang, 2017). Many of these sites are located within sensitive habitats which further stresses endemic and endangered dependent on those landscapes (Butsic, 2016). Farm location can create other problems like soil erosion, introducing sediments and nutrients into streams and causing landslides (Wang, 2017). This report will evaluate the effects traditional cannabis cultivation methods, specifically indoor and outdoor cultivation, has on the environment. The report will also identify alternatives to traditional cultivation methods by focusing on aquaponics as an alternative method of cannabis cultivation. Although aquaponic systems are similar to hydroponic systems, they differ in that aquaponic systems use fish and fish waste as a natural fertilizer for the plants in the system eliminating the dependence on chemical additives. When aquaponics is implemented correctly, it is a closed system that requires little added water or nutrients making it an ideal alternative for cannabis cultivation. Discussion Cannabis biology and origin There is debate amongst scientist as to how to differentiate the variants of cannabis. Initially, using the geographic origins and the reproductive parts of plants, Swede Carl Linnaeus 4 concluded that there was one species, Cannabis sativa with five variants (Laursen, 2015). As time progressed, using chemistry and morphology, Cannabis indica was distinguished as a new species of Cannabis by Jean-Baptiste Lamarck (Laursen, 2015). Later, Ernest Small found that Cannabis in fact has only one species, Cannabis sativa with multiple variants (Laursen, 2015) which has backing in the botany community. However, more recent evidence suggest that there are in fact two species with multiple variants of each species. Yet, the debate continues with new technology being developed to assist in better differentiating types of marijuana. The differentiation of Cannabis as either ‘Hemp’ or ‘Marijuana’ by government officials is vital during enforcement of drug laws in relation to cannabis. Marijuana has been defined by law officials as the intoxicating variant of cannabis, whereas hemp has been defined as the non- intoxicating version (Cherney & Small, 2016). Although the minimum level of 1% Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is required to have an intoxication