How New York’s Craft Cannabis Farmers Will Mitigate Climate Change

Craft Cannabis Should Be New York's Green New Deal

While the POTUS pulled out of the Paris Agreement, Governor Cuomo has increasingly spoken up about the climate crisis and has committed to a Green New Deal that proposes to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by enhancing renewable energies and creating green jobs. More specifically New York wants to increase our use of renewable energy to 50 percent of energy statewide by 2030, and to get the states electricity to 100 percent carbon neutrality by 2040, eventually eliminating NY states carbon footprint entirely. How will we accomplish this realistically?

The newly forming cannabis industry should be inextricably related to the Green New Deal. Craft cannabis offers a wildly lucrative, plant based industry and is a true catalyst for an inclusive clean economy.

Regenerative farming, also known as carbon farming, is an agricultural method that literally captures carbon emissions from our environment and stores them beneath our feet in the soil. It is a proven and viable method for mitigating climate change. One ton of regenerative cannabis, grown in sun and soil, can absorb fifty tons of the petroleum produced by indoor cannabis warehouses. 

New York's cannabis market will generate billions of dollars. 

Like a windfall. 

May we all return richness to the soil.

As I see it, cannabis legalization is emerging just in time to power our climate related commitments. The problem is, the Governors office has not drawn the dots between cannabis cultivation, justice and the climate crisis. This is evident in the bill Governor Cuomo released after his State of the State address earlier this month. We want to make sure he doesn’t hold the gate wide open for big corporations whose energy-consuming, indoor grow operations are positioned to dominate our burgeoning cannabis industry.

I have some constructive feedback on the proposed bill:

First, it doesn’t articulate how it will protect New York's small farming industry by placing sufficient limitations on large indoor warehouse cultivators in the market place. So far, we haven’t seen any legislative limits on the square footage of warehouse facilities or the amount of cannabis that they can grow, yet there are clear limitations that would prevent small farmers from selling their crop direct to consumers. With this draft, New York might miss an important economic opportunity to create a thriving agri-tourism industry made possible by craft cannabis farmers. Imagine a vineyard or brewery that is not allowed to give tastings or sell its own product. Cannabis agri-tourism could create buzzing cultural experience unique to New York.

I will say that the currently proposed bill looks like it will implement a decentralized cannabis industry that will spread profits amongst many New York residents, who will in turn re-circulate wealth within New York’s communities. 

Big, out-of-state corporations, would love to take over the bulk of New York’s emerging cannabis industry. They will also contribute substantially to the climate crisis unless the use of renewable energy is mandated in the legislation. 

This is our one real chance. There is no way that we could open this massive, lucrative industry, hand it over to industrial warehouse growers, and address the environment later. If we are going to meet our defined goals to prevent catastrophic climate change, New York's cannabis industry must begin with a Regenerative Craft Cannabis Farming and a mandate of Renewable Energy for industrial warehouse cultivators. 

I am a Black NewYorker, with African and Lenape indigenous ancestry. I am a an herbalist and carbon farmer working on the frontline of climate change. Many of my family members have been incarcerated for cannabis related offenses.  And I cultivate CBD hemp cannabis as a tool for grassroots movement building with the hope of creating an inclusive and equitable cannabis industry. My vision is of an economically, ecologically and socially just cannabis supply chain, significantly owned by the communities most impacted by the drug war.  A just supply chain starts from the ground up with land justice, soil, seeds, and the practice of regenerative carbon farming.