In a trend likely to benefit Humboldt, outdoor weed is beginning to gain ground against indoor says a piece in the San Francisco Bay Guardian. I’m seeing more references to the environmental soundness of outdoor grown plants since the “Energy Up in Smoke: The Carbon Footprint of Indoor Cannabis Production” by Evan Mills, a researcher with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (but who did this study independently) was published.

The Bay Guardian piece is balanced and informative of all the issues.  Here is a quote that summarizes the article but the whole piece is excellent.

“The most important factor is local laws and regulations and the enforcement of those various laws. A second factor is space and climate — obviously outdoor cultivation will flourish is some places better than other. And, a final factor is sustainability of the market; indoor cultivators can produce crops on a year-round basis, providing some stability in the market over the long-term, especially in the event of crop failure or other unforeseen and unexpected disasters,” Reed told us.

Yet he also said, “If cultivated correctly and with care, there should be no difference between the same strain grown in- or outdoors.” And he said that from an environmental standpoint, outdoor is clearly superior: “So far as environmental factors are concerned, there is little doubt in my mind that outdoor cultivation is kinder to Mother Earth.”

And, Humboldt stands to gain if outdoor regains the major market share.

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Hat tip to Humboldt Grower’s Association, Joey Burger

Photo of a Humboldt plant “stacking” as many outdoor plants are doing now.