In honor of Earth Day, we are taking a look at how cannabis and hemp give back to the planet – and how you can too.

As we celebrate Earth Day, we should take a moment to reflect on what we can do to better support this planet we all share. It could mean taking the time to properly focus on our recycling habits or taking public transportation rather than ordering another Uber. 

Another, and, frankly, way more enjoyable, way to show our love for our planet is to engage with cannabis brands that prioritize environmental preservation.

However, a wider perspective should also be taken into consideration.

Cannabis cultivation has a significant long-term impact on the environment. This highlights the importance of everyone in the cannabis industry doing their part to safeguard the planet. Large companies can practice sustainability in a number of ways, and, as a consumer, you can do the same by ditching disposable vape cartridges or shopping local for your bud.

While some have hoped that responsibly grown cannabis will bring a greener future for the cannabis industry, others have hoped for a more responsible commercial approach. Regardless of the outcome, cannabis, and the cannabis industry for that matter, can still contribute to maintaining the health and well-being of planet Earth.

Are you curious about how cannabis can benefit our planet? Here are five ways cannabis can make a positive impact, not just today, but for many years to come.

Hemp Provides Sustainable, Substitute Products

Textiles and paper, housing, food, and fuel are just a few of the many uses for hemp that could entirely transform how everyday products are produced and consumed in the future.

There is no waste when it comes to utilizing hemp: from the seeds that can be eaten or used in wellness products to the talks that can be converted into hempcrete, an environmentally friendly building material that can be used in constructing houses or even office spaces.

Growing Cannabis Legally Helps Save Energy and Water

The use of clandestine methods to grow cannabis in states where cultivators are unable to grow the plant legally can be responsible for increasingly severe environmental harm. The repercussions include, but are not limited to, critical water depletion, immense carbon emissions, and widespread energy waste. 

In addition to reducing the number of illegal grows harmful to the environment, legalization would help reduce the negative impact on the planet’s resources.

With the emergence of modern farming techniques like dry farming, a practice that uses no water at all, legal cannabis cultivation may further reduce its carbon footprint.

Hemp can Actually Clean Soil

As part of the bioremediation process, hemp can replenish nutrients in the soil and remove environmental toxins that serve as harmful pollutants. Thus, cannabis and hemp have the potential to help reverse damage caused by previous cultivation – a property that could greatly impact the future of agriculture. 

Hemp has even been referred to as a “miracle crop” because of its ability to grow in heavily contaminated soil with things like pesticides, metals, crude oil, solvents, and other hazardous substances. 

Hemp and Cannabis Can Help Prevent Deforestation

Deforestation involved in the production of building materials or paper, for example, has resulted in irreparable damage to the trees and forests on planet Earth.

In addition to growing much faster than trees, hemp also produces a higher amount of goods with less energy, making it a superior raw material as an alternative for both paper and wood.

Cultivating Cannabis Can Reverse Climate Change

Cannabis can be grown mindfully in a way that is actually beneficial to the environment. Carbon sequestration farms like Beija Flor in southern Mendocino County make a big difference, with plants capturing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to help mitigate or defer climate change and reduce the impact of global warming.

Although carbon sequestration occurs naturally with trees and plants, intentionally using cannabis cultivation to benefit the environment could prove to be revolutionary in terms of the survival of our planet. 

Remember this Earth Day – Hemp is Dope

We are experiencing a greater degree of pollution in our water, air, and land as a result of textile manufacturing byproducts and plastic microparticles. In addition to its reemergence as a cash crop and ability to integrate with regenerative farming practices, hemp might be the answer to our problems. On Earth Day we celebrate cannabis and hemp as well as the brands doing their part for our planet.