Pirate's Cove

Again, I really do not care if people smoke marijuana, just don’t blow it on me. I don’t think it’s that bad, and the science says that many drugs, including alcohol, are far worse. Like Ted Cruz, I think it should be left up to the states to decide. That said, the Cult of Climastrology always finds a way to inject themselves into issues, being the big buzz kills they are, and this is no different. Previously, I’ve seen small websites jump in, now we have the big boys involved

An inconvenient truth (about weed)

Marijuana has never been more popular in the U.S. — and its carbon emissions have never posed a bigger threat to the climate.

America’s patchwork approach to legalizing weed has helped make cannabis cultivation one of the most energy-intensive crops in the nation. And as states increasingly embrace marijuana, a growing source of greenhouse gases is going essentially unnoticed by climate hawks on Capitol Hill.

Nationally, 80 percent of cannabis is cultivated indoors with sophisticated lighting and environmental controls designed to maximize the plant’s yield. It’s a setup that can consume up to 2,000 watts of electricity per square meter, 40 times what it takes for leafy greens like lettuce, when grown indoors.

“For being such a ‘green’ industry, there’s some skeletons in the closet,” said Kaitlin Urso, an environmental consultant with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

One recent model estimated that Massachusetts’ nascent cannabis industry represented 10 percent of the state’s industrial electricity consumption in 2020. Another study found that growing enough bud for a joint — a gram — consumes as much electricity as driving about 20 miles in a fuel-efficient car. Then there’s the still-vibrant illegal market — where there are no emissions rules whatsoever — that consumes fossil fuels at an even higher rate, often using standalone generators or stealing power from neighbors to fuel their operations.

The problem is only going to get worse.

Damned if you do damned if you don’t. I wonder what this will do to the Democrat’s push to legalize marijuana all across the country: which push is more important to them, climate crisis (scam) or getting stoned?

Over the past year, nine states, including New York, approved the production and sale of either medical or recreational marijuana. That means 100 million Americans — nearly a third of the country — now live in a state where weed is legal for anyone over the age of 21. But most cultivators in those states will be growing cannabis indoors because of climate, regulations or individual business preferences, laying the groundwork for skyrocketing electricity consumption created by the new markets.

They grow it indoors because it produces a better product, rather than outdoors. You can do this with pot, versus something like oranges.

Interstate trade is the backbone of efficiency for most products Americans consume. But cannabis, while now allowed in many states, remains illegal on the federal level, creating siloed markets that can only serve local demand and whose economics are difficult to calibrate.

I would have thought that would be better for Hotcoldwetdry, since it limits the fossil fueled transportation.

To reach Biden’s 2050 climate goal, the nation has to do just about everything right. Every fossil fuel power plant will need to close or capture its carbon emissions; millions of buildings will need to abandon fossil fuels for electric appliances; all new cars on the road will need to be electric. Any sector going in the wrong direction, especially a rapidly growing one like cannabis, will hamper progress toward that goal.

Or, you can just F off and mind your own business. Stop trying to push your cult on everyone.

Many climate advocates say legalizing cannabis on the federal level, especially before more states create new markets, would be the quickest way to ease the emissions problem, but the bill with the best odds is still a long shot. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sens. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.) introduced a legalization measure last month that does not yet have the votes to pass.

This is really all about shifting control from state and local hands to the Central Government, yet another takeover by the federal government.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) had more specific concerns. As more states, and potentially the federal government, move toward legalization, the progressive icon said she would prioritize ensuring small businesses have an opportunity to grab major market share in the nascent industry and access to efficiency upgrades to make them competitive.

She does have a point. If Los Federales legalize it you’re going to see big companies get involved, driving out small business. But, small business would still be driven out as they wouldn’t be able to afford or comply with climate cult policies.

Read: Bummer: Marijuana Is Bad For The Climate Crisis (scam) »