Cannabis, an emerging agricultural crop, leads to deforestation and fragmentation

Wang, Ian; Brenner, Jacob C.; Butsic, Van

doi:10.1002/fee.1634

Cited by 29 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…Black dots are roost and nest sites used by northern spotted owls and blue dots are nocturnal detections of spotted owls from surveys conducted on this territory from 1985 to 2017. Aerial views of MGOs can be seen in [ 3 , 41 ] …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Grass is not always greener: rodenticide exposure of a threatened species near marijuana growing operations

et al. 2018

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ObjectiveMarijuana (Cannabis spp.) growing operations (MGO) in California have increased substantially since the mid-1990s. One environmental side-effect of MGOs is the extensive use of anticoagulant rodenticides (AR) to prevent damage to marijuana plants caused by wild rodents. In association with a long-term demographic study, we report on an observation of brodifacoum AR exposure in a threatened species, the northern spotted owl (Strix occidentalis caurina), found freshly dead within 669–1347 m of at least seven active MGOs.ResultsLiver and blood samples from the dead northern spotted owl were tested for 12 rodenticides. Brodifacoum was the only rodenticide detected in the liver (33.3–36.3 ng/g) and blood (0.48–0.54 ng/ml). Based on necropsy results, it was unclear what role brodifacoum had in the death of this bird. However, fatal AR poisoning has been previously reported in owls with relatively low levels of brodifacoum residues in the liver. One likely mechanism of AR transmission from MGOs to northern spotted owls in California is through ingestion of AR contaminated prey that frequent MGOs. The proliferation of MGOs with their use of ARs in forested landscapes used by northern spotted owls may pose an additional stressor for this threatened species.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s13104-018-3206-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Grass is not always greener: rodenticide exposure of a threatened species near marijuana growing operations

et al. 2018

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“…A comparison of Google Earth images between 2012 and 2016 in Humboldt and Mendocino counties, however, documented an 80% increase in the number of cultivation sites and a 56% increase in the average number of total plants per site (Butsic et al 2018). Although still small in scale compared to traditional agriculture, cannabis production was expanding, and it was expanding in part in ecologically sensitive remote watersheds, where histories of cultivation corresponded to concerns about ecological stress from water diversion and fragmented forested landscapes (Butsic and Brenner 2016;Butsic et al 2018;Carah et al 2015;Wang et al 2017).…”

Section: Figmentioning

confidence: 99%

Growers say cannabis legalization excludes small growers, supports illicit markets, undermines local economies

Bodwitch¹,

Carah²,

Daane³

et al. 2019

Calif Agr

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ith the legalization of cannabis for recreational use in 2017 (State of California 2016a), the Government of California embarked on an unprecedented, multi-agency initiative to regulate the production of an agricultural crop worth up to $20 billion per annum (Arcview Market Research 2014), the largest cash crop in California (Carah et al. 2015). The state initially projected $1 billion in tax revenue from cannabis sales following legalization for recreational use (McGreevy 2018). Building off recent regulations for medical cannabis production (State of California 2016b), the state created a new licensing system for growers producing cannabis for recreational use, which like medical cannabis, would be distributed legally to the public through state-licensed dispensaries. The CalCannabis Division of the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) issues cannabis cultivation licenses. To cultivate for legal markets for recreational (or medical) use, cannabis RESEARCH ARTICLE Growers say cannabis legalization excludes small growers, supports illicit markets, undermines local economies The survey sample was small, but results suggest regulations may need to be modified to incentivize grower participation in state licensing programs.

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“…The uncertainty being experienced in the noncannabis agricultural community also extends to environmental concerns. Reports have been published about rodenticide poisoning and excessive irrigation use in cannabis (Bauer et al 2015;Gabriel et al 2012); furthermore, recent research described how despite the overall small footprint of cannabis production on the landscape, it can have significant negative impacts, including to landscape fragmentation and important ecosystem processes (Wang et al 2017).…”

Section: Environmental Concerns New Revenuesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“We can't just be a county that supports inebriants”: Voices of the noncannabis agricultural community

LaChance¹

2019

Calif Agr

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raveling over the ridges and through the fertile valleys of Humboldt, Mendocino and Sonoma counties, one encounters a variety of farms, ranches, wineries and farm stands-and now a proliferation of cannabis industry billboards. Touting cannabis appellations and the ease of acquiring cannabis goods and services, their message is loud and clear: legal recreational cannabis has arrived. As the cannabis sector has come fully into public view, so too has its interaction with noncannabis agriculture. In Humboldt, Mendocino and Sonoma counties, as in other California counties, cannabis regulations over the expansion of recreational cultivation are still being refined. The uncertainty about how they will impact local economies, environments and communities is also affecting the noncannabis agricultural community. The changes farmers and ranchers will undoubtedly face are situated within broader questions about farmland transitions in the United States. Finance, land access, crop shifts Across the United States, farmland is increasingly subject to financial investment and speculation. Research suggests that financial investment in the food system RESEARCH ARTICLE "We can't just be a county that supports inebriants": Voices of the noncannabis agricultural community Interviews with noncannabis producers in Northern California revealed a variety of concerns about legal cannabis production, from access to land and crop shifts to outsider investments.

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Cannabis, an emerging agricultural crop, leads to deforestation and fragmentation

Cited by 29 publications

References 22 publications

Grass is not always greener: rodenticide exposure of a threatened species near marijuana growing operations

Grass is not always greener: rodenticide exposure of a threatened species near marijuana growing operations

Growers say cannabis legalization excludes small growers, supports illicit markets, undermines local economies

“We can't just be a county that supports inebriants”: Voices of the noncannabis agricultural community

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