Congressmen Earl L. “Buddy” Carter (R-GA) and Doug Lamborn (R-CO) touted statistics from a number of research, one in every of which have been over ten years previous, in an try to painting hashish as an environmentally unfriendly plant, framing their argument round growing competitors for vitality and the excessive quantities of electrical energy and water hashish vegetation use in comparison with different agricultural crops.
“The demand for prioritizing electrical energy makes use of and for elevated vitality effectivity is a rising concern for the American public,” the letter mentioned. “It’s important that the nation perceive the burden marijuana cultivation places on {the electrical} grid and the surroundings.”
The letter contained many troubling statistics, a few of which seemed to be primarily based on outdated rising expertise. As an example, it’s mentioned within the letter {that a} four-plant module makes use of as a lot electrical energy as 29 fridges, which doesn’t fairly add up when you think about a family fridge makes use of wherever from 100-250 watts of electrical energy (in response to a cursory Google search) and most business growers use 1000 watt high-pressure sodium lights in the event that they haven’t already switched to the newer LED fashions that use about 300 watts. To not point out, some growers place upwards of 10 vegetation beneath a light-weight, in order that data is a bit arbitrary within the first place.
The letter additionally espoused that “annual hashish cultivation electrical energy demand will develop 65% through the subsequent decade.” Nonetheless, this doesn’t bear in mind that if marijuana have been legalized on a federal degree and interstate hashish commerce have been opened, many hashish firms would choose to maneuver from an indoor develop mannequin to an outside develop mannequin.
The letter, addressed to the respective heads of the Division of Vitality, the Environmental Safety Company, the Division of the Inside, and the Vitality Data Administration, could be discovered here. The congressmen requested for responses to the next questions by November 30:
- How does present marijuana legalization affect state vitality consumption and emission ranges?
- How would federal legalization of marijuana have an effect on nationwide vitality consumption and emission ranges?
- What’s the anticipated development of vitality utilization and emissions from the marijuana business?
- How will rising vitality calls for from the marijuana business have an effect on the reliability of our electrical grid?
- What affect do unlawful marijuana rising operations have on the nation’s water provide?
- What harms do unlawful marijuana growers’ use of assorted fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides pose to wildlife, habitats, and people in america?
A latest examine printed in early 2021 discovered that hashish nonetheless makes use of a small quantity of water relative to different agricultural crops, and that with correct planning and coverage hashish doesn’t should be a pressure on the surroundings even when grown at mass scale. The examine made the next coverage suggestions to make sure hashish legalization doesn’t end in an added pressure on the surroundings:
- Land use: as hashish has historically been grown in environmentally-sensitive areas, planning might decrease adverse environmental impacts linked to hashish enlargement.
- Water use: hashish is usually grown in areas the place managing the timing and placement of water extraction is essential for the surroundings.
- Pesticide use: human publicity pathways for pesticide residues on hashish are distinctive, as they could be inhaled at excessive temperatures or ingested. It’s thus important that pesticide controls transcend these of regular agriculture.
- Vitality use: incentivizing finest practices might cut back vitality footprints of indoor and mixed-light hashish cultivation.
- Air air pollution: prioritizing science-based finest practices might cut back air air pollution and air high quality impacts.
Extra particulars on these coverage suggestions could be discovered on the full examine here.