From Slaughter to Sativa: Ranchers Are Switching to Cannabis

The life of a farmer in modern America has become a difficult way to make a living. In addition to the hardships of farming, the lives of chicken and other livestock farmers continue to be a problem scrutinized for its cruelty to animals and its negative impact on the environment and public health.

While farming in America has become more difficult in many ways, it has become a goldmine for some ranchers who have switched to growing cannabis in states that have legalized marijuana. With the continued growth of recreational cannabis, one has to wonder if cannabis might have the momentum to shift America’s farming pathway from mammals to marijuana.

One fact is for sure: Cannabis is a real cash crop and it’s still growing. In fact, some strategists predict that cannabis taxes alone could bring in $12 billion to US states alone by 2030, according to happiness. While other companies plummeted, marijuana sales soared.

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Marijuana growing licenses are very competitive in states where cultivation is legal, and some of the best acreage in those states is coveted on a par with that of a wine region. Some of this land has become so costly that farmers have stopped raising livestock in these lands altogether. The profits from raising livestock on this land can represent a fraction of the yield potential of marijuana.

An Oregon rancher, Angela Boudro, said Reuters about the almost impossible feat of competing with cannabis. “We had considered buying a piece of land and the price the hemp farmers were willing to pay was phenomenally higher than we could ever pay with cattle,” she said.

Ranchers still exist in every state with legalized weed, but the decision to raise cattle on land that can be used to grow recreational marijuana is becoming increasingly difficult to justify.

Some animal rights organizations have noticed this shift in profitability from livestock to plants. Some of these organizations have already created ways to support and encourage farmers in this “vegetarian” and profitable business transition. One such organization is the Transformation Project (MFA). The Transformation Project mission is to “help farmers convert their industrial animal husbandry to plant-based operations that grow crops for human consumption”.

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“We decided to create a platform where we could have this conversation about our current factory farm system and how we can engage the people who want to get involved in the plant-based space, whether it’s hemp or even solar. and wind energy,” says MFA President Leah Garcès said Civil Eats.

Organizations like these can be crucial for farmers looking to make the switch. The influence and investors of groups like the Transformation Project can enable small farmers to switch from raising chickens and livestock to cannabis and other farming methods. After all, this change involves a significant initial investment.

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However, that investment in cannabis has already paid dividends for some former ranchers.

“I have 1,500 acres of regular row crops and 400 head of cattle,” said JF Foster, a rancher who started the cannabis conversion, said Farm Journal. “If it were possible, I would convert my entire operation to some form of cannabis production today. Every morning. today.”