How green is your ganja?

By Olivia Preston

With research showing that the taxpayer could save £890 million a year in spending if there was a cannabis reform in the UK from policing, prison and the NHS, the idea of marijuana being legalised may not be as far away as once thought. How can weed cultivation be both beneficial to health and sustainable?

A woman wears a hairnet and gloves as she handles cannabis plants. Credit: Terre Di Cannabis on Unsplash

This budding trade has become a multi-billion pound industry worldwide, with more countries lifting laws that penalise those selling, growing or using cannabis. While weed is still illegal in the UK, the government has granted its second licence to grow medical marijuana.

Cannabis leaves and oil on a white background. Credit: Kimzey Nanney on Unsplash

But cannabis has never been sustainable. From packaging and shipping to energy consumption and artificial light use, the environmental impact of growing marijuana is vast, estimated at being around 1% of the USA’s total consumed energy every year, according to Frontier Financials.

Integrating eco-friendly practices is essential in longevity for the industry and the world as a whole, so by adopting such methods the ecological strain can be reduced significantly.

Fisheye lens captures artificial lights in marijuana growing room. Credit: Next Green Wave on Unsplash

Throw away those artificial lights. Opt for solar-powered lights or natural sunlight to grow those seeds.

Go regenerative! By integrating an uber-sustainable practice into your cultivation, you will effectively decrease the number of greenhouse gases that are emitted into the atmosphere. Regenerative farming helps to reverse climate change by rebuilding soil organic matter and restoring degraded soil biodiversity. This type of agriculture helps the environment and could improve crop quality too.

Turn it into Hempcrete. Any waste material from your crops can be made into this bio-composite material that can be used to make houses. It absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as it grows, retaining carbon and releasing oxygen, helping to reduce the effects of climate change.