Marijuana Growers Now Going Green

First Posted: Jun 19, 2017 05:40 AM EDT

People in the fast-growing marijuana industry are trying to reduce their environmental footprint. Whether it is from saving energy and water to lessening the use of pesticides, cannabis farmers are ready to save some of the energy for the greater good of the planet.

According to National Geographic, while marijuana farming does not seem like such a big industry, 1 square foot of indoor marijuana cultivation actually uses four times the energy than that of the same space in a hospital, and around eight times more than that of a commercial building. With the growing number of states that legalize marijuana for medicinal and recreational uses, this became a more important issue.

The lack of cannabis testing also contributes to the problem of quality control. However, some professional growers are already doing what they can to change this landscape. Amy Andrle, a founding member of the Organic Cannabis Association, said that the dispensary she runs with her husband, L'Eagle Services, offers "100% clean cannabis."

Unfortunately, because the crop is not legal in a federal level, they, as well as many other growers, cannot use the official organic certification from the United States Department of Agriculture. This makes it harder for them to make an organic distinction for their customers, a feat that the Organic Cannabis Association is trying to develop.

So far, Herb managed to make a list of of eco-friendly cannabis growers who are aiming to cultivate and sell organic weed. Greenly, for instance, is a company that is said to employ as much green practice as it can. The company is said to be aiming to minimize pollution while delivering the highest quality medical marijuana for patients in Los Angeles.

East Coast CBDs, LLC from Maine offers rare cannabis strains that are customized to the needs of patients. They also provide their local harvests with certified lab test results of products that they sell. These tests verify that they sell pesticide, fungus, mildew, mold and contaminant-free medical marijuana.