Ethics of the Environment: The dark side of cannabis – The Tufts Daily

As cannabis legalization continues its march across the country and investment in legal cannabis continues to grow, many previously veiled aspects of cannabis cultivation have come to light, including a surprisingly damaging environmental cost.

Additionally, a single cannabis plant needs almost 22 liters of water per day during the growing season, a consumption rate of 3 billion liters of water per square kilometer of greenhouse cultivation, putting a strain on already scant water supplies.

Ecologist Greta Wengert of the Integral Ecology Research Center described the problem: “A quarter teaspoon in the soil, in cannabis plants, in native vegetation, the water, the infrastructure.

This raises the question: How do I reduce the impact of my cannabis consumption?  An overarching solution is to continue efforts to legalize marijuana.

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