Cannabis grows and water consumption

Outdoor cannabis are productive, energy -effective and very popular … but how much water do you use?

Since the marijuana cultivation in the USA and worldwide is expanded, concerns about the environmental footprint -especially about cannabis growth and water consumption arise. A frequently asked question is whether cannabis water tables influenced as strongly as notoriously water -intensive plants such as avocados, almonds or rice. The answer depends on several factors, including the growing methods, the location and the water regulatory practices.

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Cannabis is a thirsty harvest. Outdoor cannabis plants need an estimated 5 to 6 gallon water per plant per day during the top growth period. In comparison, an Avocado tree usually consumes 40 to 50 gallons a day, but also generates a larger fruit volume via a longer growth range. Depending on the plant density and climate, cannabis can use a little less or more water than avocados on per hectare. However, the water effect of cannabis is more problematic in regions in which it has grown illegally or without proper supervision.

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In California, for example, both avocados and cannabis are cultivated in droughts, but cannabis farms-in-fronts are often unintentionally found in ecologically sensitive headwater or forested areas. These illegal operations can redirect streams, destroy the local vegetation and pull water from small streams that feed local water tables. In contrast to avocados, which are usually grown on large farms with regulated irrigation systems, it can possibly have water rights or infrastructure for the sustainable recording and storage of water rights or infrastructure.

Legal, regulated cannabis parals generally use more efficient water systems such as drip irrigation, water recycling and rainwater intake, which can significantly reduce the environmental impact. In fact, some inner kannabis buildings use less water per gram of product than outdoor farms due to stricter control of the inputs. In the cultivations indoors, however, the environmental impact is moving to energy consumption and carbon emissions and not to water.

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The effect of cannabis on water tables also depends on its cultivation scale. In California alone, illegal growth was associated with declining electricity flows and drying in rural areas. Conversely, avocados, almonds and other plants are bred on tens of thousands of tomorrow and overall have a much larger water footprint. For example, almonds in California consume over 1.1 trillion gallons water annually, a number that goes far beyond cannabis.

While cannabis have a significant localized influence on the water resources-especially if they are grown without regulation-it has not yet competed with the large-scale water consumption of avocados or almonds in the total volume. Nevertheless, his ecological footprint deserves careful control. The promotion of right -wing cultivation, sustainable irrigation and compliance with the environment will be the key to minimizing cannabis effects on water tables if the industry continues to grow.