Stakeholder Perceptions of the Impact of Cannabis Production on the Southern Oregon Food System

Abstract

The passage of Measure 91 (Oregon Legalized Marijuana Initiative, 2014) in Oregon legalized the production of cannabis for recreational sale. Since legalization, there has been a significant increase in cannabis production across the agricultural landscape of southern Oregon. Southern Oregon's Rogue Valley now hosts 314 licensed recreational cannabis growers who share a changing agricultural landscape with orchards, vineyards, vegetable farms, seed industries, and ranches. The Rogue Valley Food System Network (RVFSN) convened focus groups across the region to explore the perceived impacts of the cannabis industry on the food system. These impacts were coded and categorized for use in the development of future research questions. Stakeholders identified environmental impacts, land use policy, agricultural best practices, water resources, financial opportunities,

The spatial overlap of small‐scale cannabis farms with aquatic and terrestrial biodiversity

“…Josephine County was an ideal location to measure cannabis dynamics of legacy areas and to gain broader insights on the ecological outcomes of cannabis legalization. Josephine County had a long history of illicit and medical cannabis cultivation and an active presence in the growing legal industry in Oregon (Klassen & Anthony, 2019; V. Smith, Powell, Mungeam, & Emmons, 2019). In 2014, Oregon became one of the first US states to legalize recreational cannabis.…”

“…In 2014, Oregon became one of the first US states to legalize recreational cannabis. Southern Oregon has become known as a prime destination for outdoor cannabis production (V. Smith, Powell, et al, 2019), and Josephine County had the highest number of applications for licensed producers relative to population size in the state (0.38 per 100 inhabitants; Oregon Liquor Control Commission, 2019). Widespread cultivation of cannabis started in the region during the 1960s (Corva, 2014) and is now viewed as one of the county's main economic drivers (Parker‐Shames, unpublished interviews).…”

Consumers left at the mercy of chefs for potency, consistency, safety and regulation—the edibles industry of cannabinoids—A critical review

“…The potential impacts on the environment will rise as the influence of the regulation. Furthermore, the acceptance of the edibles by consumers should also be related to high concern in the agroecological understanding of cannabis producers (Smith et al ., 2019). Many cannabis producers overuse of chemicals, which can potentially cause raptor mortality.…”

Watching the grass grow: does recreational cannabis legalization affect retail and agricultural wages?

“…Cannabis, however, does not exist in a vacuum—the labor involved in cannabis production and retail is similar to that involved in other agricultural and retail markets and so cannabis legalization may induce workers to substitute between employers. Indeed, farmers of other crops in many areas have expressed concerns about the potential for upward pressure on agricultural labor wages as a consequence of adult-use cannabis laws (RCLs) ( Stoicheff 2018 ; Smith et al 2019 ; Valachovic et al 2019 ; Washburn 2020 ). In this paper, we investigate these concerns by measuring the impact of recreational cannabis legalization on wages using data collected from the US Census Bureau.…”