As we know, climate change is quickly rearing its ugly head. Big corporations and poor environmental regulations are continuing to add to the problem. We are starting to see more of the ugly truths of global warming each day.
With temperatures rising and weather patterns shifting, the West Coast has adopted a new season. With the peak summer heat, we’re now feeling the heat of wildfire season. The seasonal change this year is hitting the cannabis industry especially hard.
Wildfires Devastate West Coast Cannabis Farms
Oregon Wildfires Via. Hemp Industry Daily
Since the introduction of the pandemic on the West Coast, the cannabis industry has been thriving. Cannabis sales and demand for products are at an all-time high. And with no sure signs of the market slowing down. Nevertheless, with wildfires tearing through Washington, Oregon, and California, the cannabis industry is facing another challenge.
The livelihoods of some cannabis farms and dispensaries are in the path of harm from the fires, with ash and smoke covering the region. Evacuation notices and burnt marijuana plants mean some cannabis farms have had to halt production or even fully close down. Poor conditions and pollution are resulting in unusable harvests.
In early September, reports from The Oregonian show evacuation orders for 73 cannabis producers. According to Forbes, evacuation orders for California producers were put in place, too
While the “Emerald Triangle” is ideal for cannabis agriculture, this year’s wildfire season is doing a number. The West Coast is home to some of the largest outdoor cannabis grow operations in the United States, leaving the entire industry hit hard.
The region is facing some of the worst wildfires in 18 years. According to The Oregonian and the Oregon Liquor Control Board, nearly 408 cannabis businesses are recovering from the fires. This means roughly 20 percent of marijuana processors, operations and dispensaries have been hit with some evacuation notice.
In California, things aren’t looking much better for many cannabis businesses – especially those with outdoor-grow operations. As thick smoke continues to drape the West Coast in a layer of pollution and soot, cannabis businesses are feeling the heat. In both California and Oregon, walls of flames and smoke have been terrorizing the industry since early August.
Do Smoke And Ash Affect Cannabis Harvests?
Photo Via Instagram: @MoonMadeFarms
So, what does this mean for the region’s outdoor-grown cannabis operations upcoming harvest? Even if their crops survived the flames of the wildfires, the battle isn’t quite over.
When wildfire season in the West Coast begins rearing its head, it means more than just walls of erupted fires. Wildfire season means smoke and ash and hazardous air pollution levels. For the cannabis industry, and those outdoor operations that scatter the region, this means crops dusted in soot and harsh chemicals. But this is the kind of dust and grime you can’t just wash off.
Blankets Of Soot And Smoke
Photo Via. Willow Industries Via Bloomberg
Clouds of smoke and ash blanketing the agricultural sectors of California and Oregon are threatening cannabis crops. As sticky flowers with complex structures and aromatic profiles, cannabis crops have the ability to be very tainted by the wildfire’s wrath. The smoke and ash stick to the product, impacting the flavor and testing levels.
Aside from worries of cannabis flavors being affected by soot and smoke pollution, the actual growth of the flower can also be affected. According to New Frontier Data, soot can actually get into the structure of the plant and influence its growth and density.
The layers of smoke and pollution can also affect the regular growing conditions of outdoor cannabis. Like other crops in the agricultural sector, cannabis needs sunlight in order to grow. With a smoky haze engulfing the West Coast, sunlight has been sparse. A red glowing light in the sky doesn’t do the same for the plant’s photosynthesis as clear late-summer weather conditions.
Power outages in the region also create grow-light issues for indoor-grow operations as well. The wrath of wildfire season in California, Oregon, and Washington are hitting heavy at each level. Now it is up to farmers and cannabis businesses to do some damage control, to limit losses. But losses this wildfire season are unfortunately inevitable for most, especially those who are uninsured.
Moving Forward
Photo Via. Oregon Live
In Washington, Oregon and California combined, the region’s late-summer wildfires have already claimed over five million acres of land. According to the New York Times, the number of square miles burnt by seasonal wildfires has increased sixfold over the last 20 years.
Issues of climate change and global warming are exacerbating the destructive wildfire season and many West Coast cannabis operations are having to accept this as the new normal. Many of the areas affected by wildfires this season have also been hit in the past. How are cannabis operations with destroyed crops, or those which have been forced to evacuate, expected to move forward?
Unfortunately, a lot of agricultural cannabis businesses are going to be hit heavily by this wildfire season. In Oregon and California especially. If their cannabis crops weren’t fully burnt down, the smoke and ash are likely threatening the quality of the harvest. With late-summer wildfires as a new West Coast season, threats of seasonal re-burn are high. There is also a lot that goes into damage-control after destroyed or tainted seasonal harvests.
Nevertheless, cannabis businesses are resilient. Agricultural sectors along the West Coast, although seasonally pained with wildfire destruction, are continuing to thrive. It is hopeful that consumers will likely not feel the weight of wildfire season or experience tainted products.
