How Cannabis and Global Warming Impact Each Other

The cannabis industry might be known as the greenest industry around for one major reason, but there is still much to be said about the cannabis industry and its relationship with green energy. As the planet slowly succumbs to climate change, people everywhere are focusing on living a life that is better for the planet. Since the majority of energy use and waste comes from businesses, many industries are looking to embrace greener practices that can help limit the impact of their effects on the planet. Since the cannabis industry is uniquely dependent upon the survival rate of nature, it is more in need of green solutions than some other industries might be.

Cannabis is, in reality, nothing more than a highly sought after crop. It is dependent on the whims of nature, particularly when it comes to creating the various strains. Though some places are working with cannabis in indoor locations, problems with the planet still have the power to impact much of the industry, particularly for people working with hemp rather than marijuana. This need for nature to thrive that the marijuana industry currently relies on is a major reason why it needs to place a special focus on green living. Success with one might very well mean success for the other.

The Role That The Cannabis Industry Plays in Global Warming

Considering the fact that the majority of people have an image in their mind that growing marijuana is a natural practice, the information coming out about what it takes to produce this much is proving to be anything but. Rather than fields of flower growing freely under the sun, a lot of marijuana is actually grown indoors in grow houses. Though it might not seem like a problem, the conditions that these crops require involve an excessive amount of energy consumption. For many reasons, this is a cause for concern.

The amount of energy that is being consumed by the marijuana industry is steadily increasing. An industry as big as this utilizing methods that are responsible for excessive fossil fuel consumption is leading to higher rates of consumption around the country. It takes a surprising amount of energy to grow all of the marijuana and hemp crops in the areas that have legalized it, and some states are reporting full percentage increases in energy consumption because of it. At a time where we should be stepping back from fossil fuel consumption, adding an industry that is more dependent on it and growing at a rapid rate is taking us in the wrong direction in terms of overall global impact. As the marijuana industry continues to grow, we will need more ways to bring down the environmental impact that it is causing.

The biggest strain on fossil fuel consumption comes from the need for lights and temperature controlled areas. In places that are growing within a large amount of space, the lights and energy required to keep the plants growing well and as quickly as possible for mass output, the energy consumption can be incredibly high. When you factor in how many different places are doing this around the country, you can see the cause for concern as cannabis product popularity begins to grow.

As more companies begin to mass produce cannabis, it seems likely that more green solutions will follow. At a time where the marijuana industry is growing so quickly, it makes sense why major players within it would want to just focus on producing as much as they can as quickly as possible, and unfortunately at any cost. The more people who begin growing around the world, the more advancements will see in technologies as the needs continue to rise. Finding green solutions will be a large focus for companies in the cannabis industry, particularly if they want to maintain their “all natural” presentation that people have come to affiliate with the industry. Some companies are already working to make strategies based around the potential use of solar energy.

How Does Global Warming Impact Cannabis Quality?

There has been an increase in concerns being brought to light that are related to the impacts of global warming on crops. Though global warming is still largely being debated in some areas, there are many reports that global climate change is actually having some very real impacts on farmers and their ability to provide crops. Due to a variety of issues relating to climate change, alternative farming styles have been coming to light.

The fact that it has become increasingly more difficult to successfully yield crops without some kind of influence has led farmers to have to continuously battle nature to get you a decent product. For marijuana, this is disastrous because every loss is huge. There is simply too much money in the industry to waste time and money on dying crops. The cannabis industry needs the kind of certainty that only modern technology can guarantee at this point where producing high quantities of high quality products is necessary to make it.

Frequent losses of a crop generally occur alongside something almost worse for growers: low quality product. The erratic nature of nature is something that greatly impacts how crops turn out. While some cannabis plants might be dying, others are barely living, turning into something that might almost be too bad to sell or is just barely good enough. Most people who grow cannabis take their process very seriously, and lost products or products that don’t meet what they were aiming for are as unsatisfying for them to imagine selling as you likely would be about getting them. This less than ideal circumstance has forced many growers to turn to alternate methods in order to breed the quality of product that they want to provide for their customers.

Does Global Warming Really Impact Cannabis Strains?

When you visit a dispensary, it comes as no surprise that you’ll be faced with walls filled with different strains of cannabis. These strains were all bred from existing plants, and many are a cross between other types as well. Considering the market for breeding new and exciting types of bud, knowing how the environment might impact the plants themselves is becoming a pretty significant point of focus.

Existing studies show that many strains of weed can be incredibly durable. The plant as a whole is known for how well it can survive certain circumstances. However, just like with any other plant, you can expect marijuana to react differently under different conditions. The fact that marijuana can survive in difficult circumstances does not mean that it is wholly unaffected by them. In fact, research shows that global climate change might have a pretty significant impact on cannabis crops that is not known to occur in safely controlled environments.

Cannabis products can be impacted in various ways, including the quality of the product and the overall effectiveness. The cannabis itself can actually increase in potency during certain conditions. In fact, marijuana is known for its resiliency. As a stress response to certain types of trauma, weed can actually produce more THC than it would have when being raised in more controlled conditions. While it is possible for weed to be impacted in terms of overall health and quality, a large shift in how much THC is actually being produced can make for an interesting and necessary change in process. While weed that has more concentrated THC might sound like a positive, it could change the way that a company goes about making their products.

The fact that cannabis can actually thrive in worse conditions in some cases can certainly lead to some interesting products. This means that in some instances cannabis crops could theoretically benefit from being exposed to global climate change. Though it might wreak havoc with the overall process and the generation of new strains, there are plenty of potential benefits when it comes to getting the most out of cannabis plants. This would be based on how well a company is willing to manage it. Depending on the extent of global warming symptoms around the world, the likelihood that there would be more harm done than good for cannabis as a whole seems likely.

What Green Energy Use In The Cannabis Industry Looks Like

The large amounts of energy being consumed by the cannabis industry in an attempt to provide you with all of the delightful products showing up in stores around the country is something that will have to be managed. For the time being, the most obvious solution when it comes to decreasing the consumption of energy within the cannabis industry is the use of solar energy to replace current methods of obtaining electricity. This will be one major step for the industry towards going green.

The potential for solar power within the cannabis industry seems likely to be pursued sooner rather than later. In many ways, it brings a sort of balance to the process. Though much of the cannabis industry might not rely directly on sunlight for growth, this would be one indirect way to bring about a more natural energy source. Using this approach would not only save on costs but could decrease the fossil fuel consumption rate, which has steadily been rising in areas where large amounts of people are actively growing their own cannabis products. Dodging the use of quite as much would be a step in the right direction for the industry.

As we trend towards a better understanding of the need for cutting the use of fossil fuels, every industry is seeking its own methods to lessen environmental impact. The cannabis industry is at a unique point where adopting some of these green initiatives can be easier because they are still early on in the process. These companies allowing for the changes to be made up front make it possible for the industry to shift more quickly and comfortably. The introduction of new methods to manage large scale solar power initiatives will surely help to push the industry in the right direction over time.

The adoption of full scale processes that are designed to help ease the transition to solar energy will be an experiment that could yield beneficial results. If the cannabis industry is able to effectively trade its constant need for fossil fuel consumption and replace it with clean energy, it could very well act as a trendsetter in modern energy need management. Finding an effective way to leverage clean energy for a complex process could have lasting impacts on the way that businesses in other industries operate as well.

Conclusion

The cannabis industry is currently heavily dependent on the use of large amounts of energy in order to match the needs of the average consumer. While there are likely to be changes in the way that we manage energy consumption and the processes behind effectively growing marijuana, for now the focus is on finding a way to shift the industry over to clean energy. As the needs of the industry continue to grow, there will without question be a larger need for major and minor names in cannabis alike to find a way to lessen the overall global impact being brought forth by the industry.

Cannabis and global warming are more closely interconnected than was previously considered, which makes it that much more interesting to watch the two converge now. As the cannabis industry continues to grow and calls for greater energy needs, the planet will continue to be trending in a negative direction until we find a way around it. Though there are many other reasons to focus on global warming than the mere creation of great weed, finding the right resources can make it possible for us to have a healthy planet and top notch cannabis at the same time.