The Cannabis Industry A Growing Biodiversity & Environmental Concern

...PURE EVIL The Legal & Illegal Cannabis Trade Industry A Growing Environmental Concern, ETC!!! Today I talk about, The, UNSOLVED True Crime Case Daily Stories, Of The Cannabis Farming Industry, I talk about in this YouTube Video, Legal and illegal cannabis: A cause for growing environmental concern, Legalization of cannabis for medicinal and recreational use is an expanding global trend in the U.S. and globally, while the illicit market continues to feed large swaths of demand, Cannabis, marijuana, pot, bud, grass or herb — no matter its nickname, this go-to drug has long been associated with the essence of “green” and connected to eco-friendly movements. Yet, as legalization for medicinal and recreational use gathers pace globally, concerns are rising over the environmental impacts of this nascent industry as it emerges from the shadows of its illicit past, Cannabis is the world’s drug of choice, consumed by an estimated 200 million people annually, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). A growing number of countries worldwide have passed legislation legalizing its use, Malta became the first European country to fully legalize it, and Germany may soon follow suit, with potential ripple effects across the European Union, In the U.S., legal cannabis is expected to generate as much as $43 billion by 2025. Meanwhile, U.S. illegal cultivation continues feeding large swaths of demand to the tune of $65 billion in 2020. With legalization, analyzing environmental impacts is becoming easier as compared to tracking the effects of the clandestine illicit trade, As seen with pesticide misuse, large illicit grow operations have caused or exacerbated land use and habitat issues in the areas where they are located. Many have caused significant changes to the landscape, including ground cover and/or erosion impacts, newly cut roads, diversion of water courses, and drainage of wetlands. Because of this, some states, such as Colorado, have taken steps that favor indoor grow operations and discourage outdoor growing, Overuse of freshwater is a looming global crisis, with scientists declaring the planetary boundary for freshwater, But in states such as California, which have battled worsening drought conditions, pushed deeper into the red by intensifying climate change, every drop of water matters

Pesticides and rodenticides are often used on cannabis sites on public and private lands Impacts on wildlife have already been noted, but the long-term effects on ecosystems are still unknown, Species such as the Pacific fisher (Martes pennanti) are riddled with these chemicals, he says. Around 80% have been found to contain them. Further research has shown species such as the endangered northern spotted owl (Strix occidentalis caurina) and barred owl (Strix varia) are also affected, Away from public lands, the tendency to grow on private land in remote areas is a biodiversity concern, Experts say the forests in Madagascar are being burned and cleared primarily to make space for fields of marijuana and other crops Tsaratanana’s rich biodiversity includes at least eight species of lemur, at least half of which are already threatened. The reserve is also full of locally endemic plants and animals. For example, there are at least 25 amphibians and reptiles that have been found only in the reserve or the broader Tsaratanana region, herpetologists say. Many of those, such as two types of leaf-tailed geckos (Uroplatus spp.), have only recently been described in the literature, In a well-known 2008 study published in Global Change Biology, Raxworthy showed that Tsaratanana’s reptiles and amphibians were moving upslope as their environment warmed due to climate change — some of the first scientific evidence that tropical animals were already moving to higher ground, Illegal marijuana cultivation threatens Nigeria’s forests and chimpanizes, Plastic Pollution in medical dispensaries or retail stores is sold in many forms, including cigarettes, oils, resins or as edible products like brownies, cookies or gummies, ETC!!!

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CREDIT / SOURCES:
https://news.mongabay.com/2022/06/legal-and-illegal-cannabis-a-cause-for-growing-environmental-concern/#:~:text=Both%20sides%20of%20the%20cannabis,biodiversity%2C%20changes%20in%20land%20use
https://news.mongabay.com/2020/05/marijuana-cultivation-whittling-away-madagascars-largest-connected-forest/
https://news.mongabay.com/2013/07/illegal-marijuana-cultivation-threatens-nigerias-forests-and-chimps/