The past few years have proven that the cannabis industry is booming and has no plans to slow down any time soon. With the subject of cannabis legalization at a federal level becoming a reoccuring conversation and agreement among most of the country, this may just be the tip of the iceberg for the opportunities to come.
With a rising demand for the plant even through a pandemic, there have been cannabis businesses, farm, and cultivaiton facilities popping up throughout the country. These are often states where cannabis has been legalized within the state, either recreationally or medically.
Coincidentally, the same states that are finding this skyrocketing demand in cannabis and its cultivation are experiencing tough weather conditions and strict regulations that can impact the way these operations run.
In this article, learn the top 5 states to start a cannabis business and the water regulations that are required for each of these states in the industry. No matter the specificity, you’ll find that Geomat’s cannabis water recovery system is the multi-facted solution to the industry’s water containment needs.
California
If there’s two things, among the many, that California is known for, it’s the cannabis culture and beautiful weather. But even The Golden State has experienced rough weather conditions, specifically its worst wildfire season last year. Between the phases of droughts and wildfires this beautiful state has endured, there are many environmental and wildlife regulations enforced by the state.
When it comes to the legal cannabis industry in Calfironia, it’s no different. Commercial farming and cultivation of cannabis are required to follow laws and regulatios established by the Department of Cannabis Control, and explicitly in categories such as energy and water.
According to the California Water Boards,
All cannabis cultivators that plan to divert surface water need a water right to irrigate cannabis. The Cannabis Policy prohibits cannabis cultivators from diverting surface water during the dry season forbearance period, from April 1 through October 31 of each calendar year. This means that water used for cannabis cultivation activities must be diverted to off-stream storage during the wet season to be used during the dry season.
Although there a few options in different areas where you can retrieve these water resources, the state itself heavily regulates it water resources because of its scarce and limited conditions. Geomat’s water recovery system can be implemented into greenhouses and facilities that must diligently track their water use due to these conditions. With Geomat, any waste water is collected and filtered for reuse, ensuring each drop used in your operation is efficiently conserved.
Colorado
The Colorado River is one of the main rivers running through the Southwest of the country. Spreading across seven states and two Mexican territories, the river is a huge watershed that is a resource to these surrounding states.
Since last year, The Colorado River Basin has experienced its first ever drought. This sent the Southwest into a water crisis resulting in water shortages and cutbacks for all industries and communities. While the state is thoroughly regulating water usage and monitoring its drought conditions, industries have been facd with challenges when it comes to supplying a watershed resource to their business.
The Colorado General Assembly declared this year they will implement strict guidelines and regulations for severe weather conditions and the impact of climate change.
In the wake of climate change and increasing frequency of unpredictable weather events, this bill creates a framework for cannabis cultivators to establish contingency plans to combat the effects of adverse weather events. The bill broadly defines adverse weather events as damaging weather involving drought, freeze, hail, excessive moisture, wind or other adverse natural occurrences such as wildfires, floods or earthquakes.
The Colorado drought crisis is continuing to impact the state and its surrounding communities due to lack of this natural resource. Geomat systems can be a resourceful and sustainable tool in your cannabis cultivation by reusing and recycling all water used. Whether it’s a severe drought or intense freezing conditions, Geomat’s cannabis water recovery system conserves this natural necessity while helping your environment.
Arizona
According to the state’s climate office, Arizona is currently in it’s 27th year of a long term drought. The state is undoubtedly scarce in its water resources no matter the industry. The only solution to this state of condition is for businesses to coserve and sustain as much as possible.
Many of the reservoirs that provide Arizona with its water resource, such as the Colorado River and Lake Mead, have been extremely low. This is not only affecting the state itself but its neighboring states, Nevada and California.
Considering the extreme high and low temperatures the state experiences overall, water is a necessary natural resource that simply isn’t abundant. Whether it’s the desert summer heat or the freezing late winter season, water containment systems like Geomat can supply water to cannabis cultivations that are lacking this essential resource. Through its Patented filtration process cleaning each drop of water runoff or waste water, you can confidently and efficiently sustain your resources and help your state.
Nevada
Nevada is another large state for the cannabis industry that is also impacted by severe drought. Nevada is the driest state in the country, considering its huge desert like climate and extreme temperatures. These drought and low water conditions may seem common for the desert, but in the last year the state’s watershed resources have been affected by significant water loss.
The State of Nevada’s Cannabis Compliance Board offers thorough regulations and mandates for cannabis businesses in the state to follow. Among these documented rules and regulaitons, the following is mentioned regarding the waste water management of cannabis cultivation in Nevada.
Except as otherwise provided in subsection 2, a cannabis establishment shall: (a) Store, manage and dispose of all solid and liquid waste and wastewater generated during the processing of cannabis or production of cannabis products in accordance with all applicable state and local laws and regulations; and (b) Render waste containing cannabis unusable before the waste leaves the cannabis establishment. Such waste includes, without limitation: (1) Waste from cannabis plants, including, without limitation, roots, stalks, leaves, stems, flower, trim or solid plant material and any plant material used to create an extract; (2) Solvents used in the processing of cannabis or extraction of concentrated cannabis; (3) Any plant material or solvents discarded as a result of quality assurance testing or any other testing performed by a cannabis testing facility;
As a strict mandate enforced for proper water conservation and disposal, cannabis water recovery systems like Geomat can ensure these regulations, among all EPA and OSHA requirements, are met. Geomat has the ability to be a closed loop water containment system, or a water containment system that ties to the facility’s local sanitary sewer line. Either option allows cannabis facilities to follow these wastewater regulations of the state while minimizing their overall water usage. In a state that is known to be the driest, every drop of water counts!
Geomat recently accepted the 2021 Sustainability Leadership Award. To learn more about the many benefits of Geomat’s cannabis water recovery systems, follow us on LinkedIn.