As the cannabis industry has grown, as has the need to adopt green practices. So, let’s take a look at why sustainability matters.
Cannabis companies currently rely on practices that aren’t exactly sustainable. From pesticides to plastic packaging, commercial cannabis has resulted in a lot of waste and pollution. We can’t really blame the industry either – growing and selling cannabis is a business, after all. Using toxic pesticides and fertilizers helps accelerate growth and output. But at the end of the day, a lot of these strategies hurt the Earth and its ecological stability.
For example, pesticides have a documented history of causing soil and water contamination. Not only does this pollution endanger animals’ lives, but it also hurts human communities that have seen their soil and water quality decline. Studies have shown that certain places have groundwater contaminated by pesticides, resulting in higher risks of diseases like cancer.
This is just one example of how waste and pollution hurt the environment and living beings. Practices like plastic packaging and high-energy consumption also contribute to environmental harm, so it is pretty important to find viable alternatives.
How to Achieve Sustainability – The Path Towards Greener Cannabis
Identifying a problem is an important first step, but what can we do to address the issue? Well thankfully, some cannabis companies, like Mana Botanics and Kamatree, have dedicated themselves to adopting greener practices.
One crucial strategy these companies have utilized is the transition to green packaging. Instead of relying on non-biodegradable plastics, they instead use recyclable packaging materials like ocean-reclaimed plastics or glass bottles. This way, their packaging material won’t end up in landfills or in the ocean, where they can do some serious environmental harm.
Some companies have also chosen to naturalize the growth process as much as possible. This means using natural fertilizers or natural lighting instead of artificial sources. By doing this, the companies guarantee that they won’t be releasing harmful chemicals into the environment while also leaving a smaller carbon footprint by abandoning artificial lighting.
The above are just a few of the ways that some innovative companies have chosen to make their practices more sustainable. As the industry grows, we’re likely going to see more strategies be developed.