It’s 2021, and if you’re not thinking about the environmental impact of your weed purchases, it’s definitely time to start paying attention. In the cannabis world, we praise the natural effects of marijuana and its superiority over lab-created medicines with unrecognizable ingredients, so shouldn’t we care just as much about the environmental effects of cultivation practices, manufacturing packaging, and distribution of the cannabis products we buy?

Sustainable marijuana products are becoming more common and there are many indicators of eco-friendly products. Look for words and phrases on the packaging like “sun-grown,” “clean,” “post-consumer recycled,” and “sustainably grown and/or packaged.” (That last one should be obvious!)

With strict government guidelines in regards to packaging and child-proofing (which is important), many companies use excessive amounts of virgin plastics and other diminishing resources to keep in compliance with these restrictions. Luckily, many brilliant companies out there have come up with sustainable alternatives to be compliant and cut down on waste throughout the entire cultivation, packaging and distribution processes. Check out these awesome sustainable cannabis brands: (Some are pretty close to us!)

Glass House Farms is a 500,000 sq. ft. cannabis greenhouse in the beach town of Carpinteria, CA (15 miles south of Santa Barbara.) Owner Graham Farrar is passionate about sharing the positive aspects of the industry, from the natural healing properties to the economic impact and job opportunities. Glass House received Cannabis & Tech Today’s Sustainability award for their leading sustainable tech and eco-friendly mission.

Greenhouses aren’t new to the Carpinteria Valley, a place known for its flower growers and hydroponic greenhouses since the 1960s. When cannabis became legal in California, many growers applied their perfected growing systems to cannabis and are now able to sustainably grow and legally distribute marijuana, a step ahead of other farms. 

Glass House Farms takes advantage of the natural climate in Carpinteria using wind to cool the greenhouses rather than fans, and using the 330 days of sunshine instead of artificial lighting. In addition, they use a water recapture system to recycle the water and avoid waste while maintaining nutrients to feed the plants. They use high tech filtration systems to remove pathogens but keep nutrients. 

This sustainable biodynamic farm based in Nevada City, CA is popular for their hand-rolled joint packs and infused pre-rolls, all made using sun-grown flower. They are sustainability masters, incorporating it into every step of their business! Their farm is off-grid and 100% solar powered. They have a deep artesian well that uses living microbial water to maintain the perfect PH of 6.4. 

Stone Road has a new 2021 eco-conscious initiative that encourages packagers to use rice protein isolate to create the shrink wrap material around their pre-rolled packs. They also source fully-recycled glass jar for flower, using reclaimed ocean plastic for child-resistant lids. 

Located in Santa Barbara Wine Country, Raw Garden specializes in live resin products sourced from their 50-acre farm. “Live Resin” is the most common concentrate in vape carts and dab rigs. Live resin is made when freshly-picked cannabis is cryogenically flash-frozen and extracted into a resinous liquid that gives off strong flavor and aromas. It’s possibly a better representation of a strain’s characteristic than any other form of consumption. Raw Garden is a powerhouse in their resin output. They have produced live resin for more than 850 different strains with new drops launching each week. 

They are a leading example for the business side of the industry, modeling their growing operation on existing USDA organic agricultural standards to ensure environmentally friendly practices. Raw Garden uses only natural and organic fertilizers, soil amendments and safe, human pest control methods on their farm. In addition, they use less than a gallon of water per plant, per day. This is 5 times less than average for a California farm.

Leaders in the CBD world, this Pasadena-based brand focuses on natural wellness while infusing their clean living ethos into their products. Papa & Barkley uses only pure ingredients, no harsh chemical extraction methods, and whole plant infusion to preserve the purity of their final products. Their plants are cultivated in balanced, stress-reduced conditions to lessen the overall environmental impact. They have a huge variety of “Releaf” products from patches and balms to gummies with varying levels of strength.

This Colorado-based edible brand has gained popularity for their delicious edibles. They create special fast-acting gummies as well as tarts (think Sweetarts) that come in ½ doses. Wana sources local cannabis in each state they sell in (12 plus Canada in case you were wondering). Their products are vegan, gluten-free, and terpene enhanced. In 2019, Wana addressed the plastic packaging issue in the cannabis industry by reducing the mount of plastic they use in their packaging. Wana now uses reusable, recyclable, and biodegradable packaging that still meets the strict government guidelines and is FDA-approved. Also, Wana has a great website with mini weed education courses on edibles, dosing, and cannabis in general!

Dompen is a vape brand based out of Los Angeles. Their sustainability practices start with their cultivation methods; they exclusively source pesticide-free cannabis from licensed CA cultivators. Dompen is one of the safest vape pen brands out there thanks to their industry-leading compliant testing. Each pen is lab-tested three times before distribution. Vape pens can create a lot of waste, and Dompen was one of the first cannabis brands to launch a vape recycling program. So far, they’ve recycled over 500 pounds of vape waste.

This clean green certified cannabis brand focuses on cultivating high-quality product in California. Always keep a lookout for brands that are Clean Green Certified because that means they practice organic and environmentally friendly business practices in compliance with government regulations. Source Cannabis grows their product indoors in high-quality soil and hand-waters it to reduce waste to perfectly control the environment.

Autumn Brands is a sustainable farm and licensed cannabis cultivator near Santa Barbara, CA. Created from a family of flower growers (similar to Glass House), they’ve applied the same sustainable growing practices to their cannabis greenhouses. Their sustainability efforts are sealed on each product label with a “PURE” guarantee: pesticide-free, user first, responsibly grown and eco-friendly. Their hydroponic farming uses a closed-loop watering system that ensures no water is wasted. Instead on gross pesticides, their 100% no-spray techniques use ladybug larvae to keep their plants clean and safe.

This women-owned business produces California cannabis and hemp CBD products. Their safe, clean practices include lab testing for heavy metals to ensure their products are the highest quality. Their cannabis is sun-grown in Humboldt County, Northern California. Humboldt Apothecary is extremely community-oriented and they’ve adapted sustainable farming practices rom the farms in their area. By using only certified organic ingredients for their products, they believe it greatly increases the health and wellness benefits of their products.

Pax is a popular vape brand that introduced multi-use devices and accessories that are durable and last over time. Their latest pod packaging is 100% recyclable and biodegradable while still child-proofed. With vapes passing up flower and edibles in popularity, the waste poses a threat to the environment. Pax is another brand focused on finding sustainable alternative materials for vapes, keeping non-recyclable pens out of the landfill. Check out the Pax 2, 3, Era Pro and Era Life products!

There are some remarkable changes happening in the industry to make sustainable practices and products more available. It’s amazing how many local cannabis brands are revolutionizing the industry. Take time to read up on the sources and packaging for your weed purchases. Many of these sustainable brands are affordable or can save you money in the long run. Investing in sustainable cannabis brands and accessories is in the best interest of Mother Earth and you!

La entrada Keeping Your Cannabis Sustainable se publicó primero en Ecomeds.