Seven Ways Eco-Conscious Cannabis Consumers Can Go Green

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day! In honor of the day, we compiled a list of seven ways cannabis consumers can be more green and eco-friendly.

Even though cannabis should be an earth-friendly industry, and that hemp is one of the most sustainable plants on the planet, there could be much improvement in this area. This is due in large part because of single-use plastic packaging and massive demand for water and electricity. Thankfully, there are some things that we as eco-conscious consumers can do in our own lives to help save our earth, because we only get one.

Studies show that many cannabis consumers want eco-friendly certification in the products they buy. Last fall, we made a list of 5 ways to make the industry can become more green and sustainable. Here we are adding seven more - with a specific focus on individual actions that we as consumers can do in our everyday lives.

1. Use a Hemp Wick

Hemp wicks are a pretty awesome invention. They are hemp twine dipped in beeswax that often comes wrapped around a lighter. Hemp wicks help make your flower taste better when you’re smoking because you don’t have to use your lighter with each inhale. Even better, hemp wicks extend the life of your lighters, meaning they take longer to end up in landfills than if you flick it every time you toke.

2. Recycle Vape Batteries

When it comes to vape batteries, most of them are lithium-ion. Lithium is a finite resource, and it must be mined for use in vapes. Mining lithium does impact our environment, so hopefully, new tech emerges that won’t rely so heavily on the element. For us as consumers, at least we can recycle lithium-ion batteries.

The website Earth 911 is a valuable resource for consumers to search for battery drop-off locations in their area. Many cities consider all batteries to be hazardous waste, so be sure you dispose of them the right way. Additionally, some dispensaries partner with eco-friendly organizations or might accept battery returns themselves.

3. Dispose of Your Pre-Rolls Properly

Please don’t litter! Cigarette butts thrown on the ground are an eyesore, and used joints aren’t much better. If you’re consuming in the great outdoors, carry your trash with you. Many areas with legal cannabis have massive wildfires, and all it takes is one wrong spark to engulf a bunch of trees. Additionally, use papers from companies like Raw or Elements. These papers are better for the environment because they’re made from hemp and not wood pulp. Additionally, hemp papers burn longer and more smoothly as well as taste better than papers that are bleached white.

4. Consider Purchasing Greenhouse-Grown Flower

Some large-scale, corporate-owned commercial cannabis grows use massive amounts of electricity and water. Greenhouse grows utilize light deprivation instead of needing to crank up the electricity. Greenhouses also use less water than hydro grows when done correctly. Ask your dispensary if they carry any products that come from greenhouse grows.

5. Buy Local

This is similar to the concept of how buying local produce at farmer’s markets helps the environment. When you buy locally grown cannabis, the money stays inside of your local community, and it greatly reduces the distance that your product must be shipped to get to you. Less traveling means less pollution, and less pollution means better overall outdoor air quality. Also, buying local reduces the chances that the product you’re buying has been tampered with or spoiled.

6. Grow Your Own

What better way to reduce your carbon footprint than to grow your own? Growing outdoors requires much less electricity than indoor grows. Some consumers think that flower grown under the rays of the sun in the great outdoors simply tastes noticeably better than indoors. Many legal states allow consumers to grow their own. If you live in a state, why not give it a try? Growing your own food or cannabis is highly rewarding!

7. Buy Products that Are Clean Green Certified

Federal cannabis prohibition prevents cannabis from being organic certified, as it’s not yet recognized as a “legitimate” crop. However, the organization Clean Green Certified inspects and approves producers who practice sustainable and organic methods. Clean Green Certified is the next best thing to the official organic seal.

As is the case in just about any industry, we the consumers have the power. Together, we can help change the industry for the better and make it more green and sustainable. We can search for dispensaries that adhere to environmentally friendly practices and that carry cannabis brands that value sustainability as much as we do. Until cannabis is legalized, the industry will continue to innovate on its own and come up with ways to be eco-friendly. As consumers, we can do our part to help with being eco-friendly.

HashDash - Helping Build a More Sustainable Cannabis Community

We hope you found value in our Saint Patrick’s Day content. We have a lot of work to do to make the cannabis industry more sustainable and eco-friendly, but together, we can make it happen! Did we miss a way to go green! Let us know! Sound off on our social - @hashdash on all platforms, except for Instagram, where we are @hashdashdotcom. Check back to our blog often, because we post fresh content at least twice every week!

Here at HashDash, we are compiling an entire information database that will continue to answer your questions regarding all things cannabis, as well as where to find the best dispensaries in your area. Be sure to sign up for HashDash if you haven’t already to discover your cannabis matches.

Thanks for reading! Happy consuming!