Worcester Business Journal

12 Worcester Business Journal | May 27, 2024 | wbjournal.com BY ERIC CASEY WBJ Staff Writer S ince cannabis was legalized for adult use in 2016, the plant has surpassed cranberries as Massachusetts' number one cash crop. While some states, including Rhode Island, have decided to prohibit outdoor commercial cultivation of this newly legalized plant, Massachusetts went a different route, not only allowing outdoor marijuana cultivation, but taking steps to encourage the practice as a means of helping the environment and the farming industry. Still, unlike most agricultural products, a majority of Central Massachusetts' cannabis is grown indoors; just seven of the area's 50 licensed adult use cultivations are outdoor farms, according to state data. Outdoor growers face a litany of hurdles to bring product to market, but the end result can be an environmentally friendlier option to indoor production and can result in a more affordable and natural product, with some desirable characteristics, which are hard to find with weed Indoor cannabis cultivation has a big environmental impact, but a few Central Mass. growers are blazing a more sustainable trail e green OUTDOORS grown indoors, according to outdoor enthusiasts. Pot pollution Enticed by the ability to control the environment and avoid the prying eyes of police helicopters, many of the nation's illicit marijuana growers migrated indoors in the late 1980s, according to a 2021 academic paper by Nick Johnson, a Colorado-based historian. Even aer legalization, much of the country's production has remained inside, particularly in states with colder climates and shorter growing seasons. Advancements in high-intensity artificial lighting effectively replaced sunlight. Indoor cultivation comes at a cost for both businesses and the environment, requiring lighting to rival the brightness of the sun and high-capacity HVAC systems rotating air in facilities at three times the rate of commercial buildings. Cannabis cultivation has an energy demand competing with data centers, according to a 2021 study published by Gina Warren, a University of Houston Law Center professor. e average cultivation can consume 50-200 times more electricity than an office building. A 2012 study by a researcher at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory found indoor cultivation was already responsible for emissions equaling 3 million cars. Since that study was published, 24 states have legalized cannabis for recreational use, with the national industry seeing a growth rate of over 200% between 2012 and 2023, according to figures from trade publication MJBizDaily. Massachusetts regulators have taken notice of the issue. In July 2020, the state's Cannabis Control Commission began enforcing energy efficiency standards and reporting requirements mandating consideration of renewable and efficient energy measures. However, regulations offer the state's 107 operational indoor cultivators opportunities to sidestep implementing efficiency measures, as long as growers explain their rationale for doing so. More should be done to encourage outdoor cannabis cultivation throughout the country, said Micah Sherman, a Washington-based cannabis business owner and advocate for cra-style production. "e environmental reasons are a pretty obvious benefit [to outdoor production]," Sherman said. "I don't think that state policymakers should be encouraging people to invest in these large-scale indoor productions." Massachusetts has taken some steps to encourage outdoor cultivation, including slicing licensing fees in half and offering existing farmers of other crops guidance on adding cannabis to their repertoire. But existing state law presents challenges; lawmakers have expressly excluded the cultivation of marijuana from agricultural exemptions to municipal zoning rules. Outdoor growers argue their product offers customers a more natural version. "All our compost and nutrients are organic," said Dan Warsowick, the CFO at Uxbridge-based Regenerative, an outdoor cultivation company. "e biggest thing is we're growing cannabis the way it should be: From the sun, out in the elements." Wicked weather, onerous odors Cannabis is a finicky and vulnerable plant. Adding New England's weather to the mix elevates the difficulty, said David E N E R G Y & S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y David Macklin, director of cultivation for United Cultivation in Ashby, stands in the company's greenhouse. (Above and upper left) Outdoor cannabis farms like Regenerative in Uxbridge don't require energy-intensive lighting or HVAC systems. PHOTOS | COURTESY OF REGENERATIVE PHOTO | COURTESY OF UNITED CULTIVATION

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