Indoor pot production leaves giant carbon footprint
Marijuana growing is not a green industry
Saturday, May 11, 2013
Done mostly indoors in Washington, pot production often uses hospital-intensity lamps, air conditioning, dehumidifiers, fans and carbon-dioxide generators to stimulate plants and boost their potency. The carbon footprint of producing 2.2 pounds of marijuana indoors is equivalent to driving across country seven times, according to a peer-reviewed study. Yet almost no one is pushing for cleaner sun-grown weed as state officials make rules for legal growing operations. Pot production often uses hospital-intensity lamps, air conditioning, dehumidifiers, fans and carbon-dioxide generators to stimulate plants and boost their potency. The power-hungry crops rival data centers or server farms in intense use of electricity.