"As Legal Cannabis Spreads, Growers Go Organic — And Beyond"

"Pot prohibition is gradually lifting, but state and federal growing guidance is lacking. EHN visited West Coast growers committed to nudging the fledgling industry in a chemical-free, Earth-friendly direction."

"On a noisy, littered block in southeast San Francisco lined end-to-end with mismatched warehouses, Chris Lu grows organic cannabis for discerning customers in California's legal market.

He shuns synthetic pesticides and applies only approved fertilizers like bone meal, bat guano, and compost tea. That's a big deal in an industry long dependent on potent garden-store chemicals to protect valuable crops from damage — particularly at indoor operations, where pests and mildew can be harder to eradicate.

It's also a sign of the times. With the advent of legalization and commercialization here and in eight other states since 2013, new state-level pesticide regulations and growing consumer demand for clean weed have helped improve the industry's secretive, often suspect cultivation practices. "

Nate Seltenrich reports for Environmental Health News June 12, 2019.

Source: EHN, 06/13/2019