As America decriminalizes pot, scientists encourage sustainable farming techniques
Photo courtesy of pixabay.com
Carson Myers, Staff Writer
There was a time when using pot was taboo for the majority of Americans. Until recently, pot users were thought to be hippie holdovers from Woodstock or under-achieving teenagers with too much time on their hands. However, the Nov. 8 elections further pulled back the curtain that separates mainstream Americans from 420 culture.
Along with selecting the next president, eight states chose legislation that would further de-criminalize marijuana. According to Business Insider, one in five Americans can legally access weed. Since smoking pot was once considered an illicit activity in these states, there is no data to suggest whether pot consumption is increasing or decreasing.
However, one thing is sure: the marijuana growing industry is changing. Instead of being imported or grown in a supplier’s backyard, marijuana plants are being grown industrially and stored in large warehouses. The process is controlled, precise and business-oriented. The growers themselves are not potheads; they wear lab coats and have degrees in botany. Publicly-traded companies are being set up specifically to sell real estate to the burgeoning industry.
“When I visited Washington state, fields along the highway that were once dairy farms were being used to grow pot,” said Jeff French, an environmental science professor at NGU.
Jeff French. Image courtesy of ngu.edu.
Many scientists have raised concerns about the impact of widespread pot farming. Cannabis sativa, the most common type of pot for recreational use, is an invasive species native to tropical climes. However, French believes that the greatest risk posed by planting pot is the clearing of land.
“If cannabis is planted on land that has already been cleared, it will pose very few problems to the ecosystem,” said French. “Clearing land is the main threat to the ecosystem regardless of what the land will be used for. When you clear land, you pollute the water supply and cast out native species.”
The implications of using pot are still hotly debated. Many Americans believe that all marijuana use should remain criminalized. However, even those who view cannabis as a panacea realize the negative impacts of unsustainable harvesting practices.
