{"componentChunkName":"component---common-build-tags-template-js","path":"/tag/organic/","result":{"data":{"allArticle":{"edges":[{"node":{"id":"Article_2122-markdown","title":"Biodynamic Farming & Cannabis","slug":"biodynamic-farming-and-cannabis","content":"Alicia Rose is the Founder of [HerbaBuena](http://herbabuena.com/) a California based collective that  provides a sophisticated, personalized approach as well as the finest cannabis-based medicine. HerbaBuena is well known for their social events which allows its members to gather and learn about the therapeutic benefits of cannabis and the products that suit them best. We welcome Alicia as one of our newest guest bloggers. Alicia has become a pioneer in the area of biodynamic cannabis, the topic of her first article on HelloMD. \r\n\r\n## Why Biodynamic Cannabis?\r\n\r\nWhen it comes to cultivating medicine and spirit plants, the intention and purity with which they’re grown is as important as the strain. Biodynamic farming offers a great alternative and a trusted certification process offering a much needed alternative to USDA Organic which, due to current federal regulation, is neither an option for cannabis farmers nor a choice point available to patients.\r\n \r\nA holistic approach to farming, Biodynamics builds upon the concepts of organic (as defined by the USDA National Organic Program) and brings them to the next level. Since marijuana in California is defined as medicine, it is vital for consumers to have a trusted labeling source which ensures source and purity—free from the chemical fertilizers and pesticides often used in cannabis farming.\r\n \r\nBiodynamics goes beyond organic by requiring practices that improve the health of the entire ecosystem including the soil, plants, animals and humans that it supports. It’s an amazing system that works on the principle of biodiversity to attain a healthy, balanced ecosystem, and when you’re growing something as potent and magical as cannabis, it all matters.\r\n\r\n## Setting a New Industry Standard\r\n\r\nSince organic certification isn’t an option, offering cannabis certified by a trusted organization with a 30-year history is another way to ensure we’re providing the purest products and the finest medicine, and setting a new standard for our industry. Introducing Biodynamic medicine helps us make a positive impact on the health of our patients, our community and the industry as a whole. People ask if you can tell a difference between the sun grown Biodynamic medicine and others, and the answer is yes. We’ve noticed, along with many of our members, that there’s a full-spectrum experience that the Biodynamic flowers provide. The feeling is nuanced and expansive, balanced and grounded, all at the same time. The difference in how this medicine makes you feel—compared to that which is grown in warehouses under artificial light, fed petrochemicals, forced to bloom, and treated with pesticides—is profound and palpable.\r\n\r\nIf you are new to cannabis and want to learn more, take a look at our [Cannabis 101](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/cannabis-101-your-quick-guide-to-medical-marijuana) post. [HelloMD](https://www.hellomd.com/) can help you get your medical marijuana recommendation; it's 100% online, private and efficient.","image":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"base64":"data:image/png;base64,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","aspectRatio":1.3333333333333333,"src":"/static/5f18290aea6b616eaa5272741e4bfdb8/ee604/69ab0ec999311fd9c7fd2cabe0993841.png","srcSet":"/static/5f18290aea6b616eaa5272741e4bfdb8/69585/69ab0ec999311fd9c7fd2cabe0993841.png 200w,\n/static/5f18290aea6b616eaa5272741e4bfdb8/497c6/69ab0ec999311fd9c7fd2cabe0993841.png 400w,\n/static/5f18290aea6b616eaa5272741e4bfdb8/ee604/69ab0ec999311fd9c7fd2cabe0993841.png 800w,\n/static/5f18290aea6b616eaa5272741e4bfdb8/f3583/69ab0ec999311fd9c7fd2cabe0993841.png 1200w,\n/static/5f18290aea6b616eaa5272741e4bfdb8/f90fa/69ab0ec999311fd9c7fd2cabe0993841.png 1365w","srcWebp":"/static/5f18290aea6b616eaa5272741e4bfdb8/58556/69ab0ec999311fd9c7fd2cabe0993841.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/5f18290aea6b616eaa5272741e4bfdb8/61e93/69ab0ec999311fd9c7fd2cabe0993841.webp 200w,\n/static/5f18290aea6b616eaa5272741e4bfdb8/1f5c5/69ab0ec999311fd9c7fd2cabe0993841.webp 400w,\n/static/5f18290aea6b616eaa5272741e4bfdb8/58556/69ab0ec999311fd9c7fd2cabe0993841.webp 800w,\n/static/5f18290aea6b616eaa5272741e4bfdb8/99238/69ab0ec999311fd9c7fd2cabe0993841.webp 1200w,\n/static/5f18290aea6b616eaa5272741e4bfdb8/5e0b8/69ab0ec999311fd9c7fd2cabe0993841.webp 1365w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}}}},{"node":{"id":"Article_2070-markdown","title":"Marijuana's Dirty Secret: Energy Consumption","slug":"marijuanas-dirty-secret-energy-consumption","content":"As marijuana legalization laws sweep across the country, most consumers\r\nare jumping for joy -- widespread marijuana will cut back on potentially\r\ndangerous prescription drugs and help manage complex symptoms in people\r\nwith a multitude of conditions. While these factors are indeed true,\r\nmarijuana also has a dirty little secret most consumers don't realize:\r\nit's a huge energy hog.\r\n\r\n**Production and Power Supply: How the Two Are Connected**\r\n\r\nAs legalization laws pop up around the country, demand for quality\r\nmarijuana products has skyrocketed. All of this demand has given rise to\r\nhundreds of grow operations striving to produce quality products for\r\nconsumers; unfortunately, commercial marijuana production in cities like\r\nDenver has proven to be a huge strain on local power supplies.\r\n\r\nHere's why: In Denver alone, there are approximately 354 commercial\r\ncannabis grow operations. In 2014, these grow operations consumed a\r\nwhopping [200 million kilowatts of\r\nelectricity](http://www.citylab.com/design/2015/07/weed-growers-are-a-drag-on-denvers-energy-supply/397805/).\r\nWhile this number still represents less than 2 percent of Denver's\r\noverall power supply, electricity usage in the city has been growing at\r\nan annual rate of 1.2 percent, largely due to the [ballooning number of\r\ngrow\r\noperations](http://www.citylab.com/design/2015/07/weed-growers-are-a-drag-on-denvers-energy-supply/397805/).\r\n\r\nThe reason marijuana cultivation is so energy-intensive comes down to\r\nbasic growing practices. Thanks to excessive lights, fans, and cooling\r\nand hydroponic systems required to cultivate cannabis indoors, cannabis\r\ngrow operations consume eight times as much electricity per square foot\r\nas a typical office building. While it may seem like the obvious\r\nsolution is to place cannabis grow operations outdoors, this idea would\r\nbe virtually impossible to do given the current demand for cannabis\r\nproducts across the country.\r\n\r\nWhile an indoor grow operation is considerably more energy-intensive\r\n(indoor grow lamps are an estimated 500x more powerful than reading\r\nlights), the control allowed by an indoor grow operation is necessary to\r\ncontinue producing cannabis on a commercial level.\r\n\r\n**Going Green with Cannabis**\r\n\r\nWhile it's clear cannabis is a significant burden on energy grids around\r\nthe country (cannabis production currently accounts for [3 percent of\r\nCalifornia's total\r\nenergy](http://www.citylab.com/design/2015/07/weed-growers-are-a-drag-on-denvers-energy-supply/397805/)\r\nconsumption), few cities or states have plans in place to deal with the\r\nincreasing demand for cannabis and the strain on the power supply.\r\nFortunately, there are many ways for environmentally minded consumers to\r\nbe part of the solution rather than the problem. Here are a few tips to\r\nsupport cannabis operations that have less impact on the environment:\r\n\r\n-   **Buy from small operations.** Whenever possible, purchase cannabis\r\n    from small, local grow operations. While these operations likely\r\n    still use lights and heating and cooling systems, their impact on\r\n    the energy grid is likely to be far less than that of a major\r\n    corporate operation.\r\n-   **Opt for organic**. While they may be difficult to find, outdoor,\r\n    organic grow operations do still exist. These operations use\r\n    significantly fewer resources than large indoor operations and don't\r\n    spray their plants with toxic pesticides, which is a bonus\r\n    for consumers.\r\n-   **Look for eco-minded cultivators**. Some of the large grow\r\n    operations do more to protect the environment. Look for companies\r\n    that use sustainable energy systems (like solar, wind or hydro\r\n    heating, cooling or energy production) in their\r\n    production practices.\r\n\r\nWhile cannabis is certainly a powerful crop for dozens of purposes, the\r\nfact remains that large grow operations make a significant dent in the\r\nenergy grid of the cities in which they reside. Fortunately, consumers\r\ncan do their part to mitigate this impact by being aware of cannabis's\r\nenergy needs and seeking to support smaller, less harmful operations.\r\n\r\n[Photo Credit](https://www.flickr.com/photos/universityblogspot/8383177905/in/photolist-dLMYJ6-nXCJn9-oVx1Uw-aEZ2rC-bxt93q-6BXw2G-aEZ2Do-mtyw5-68fiK3-4YRKNi-ahwvZu-pF6Hu1-nUQPF1-9Ljzuy-8GtNfE-rBsed-bqnR5J-eyKsaD-5fp63W-cZ5oPQ-2zwwU-99Vyvs-fn16yZ-9KjjZL-rBss4-7FoRbX-jAPEp9-99SqoZ-dAKCto-2gQMFw-7Hpw9n-5fjhJM-7FoX5z-oAF3Pr-d6u4HJ-6RGMBa-otWP8p-99VyCQ-5mdUhS-7FsKsG-7FoQCX-oTKfBZ-rBshd-mUaw7i-5hG64x-8q37K2-oK7JbJ-oRprSb-9a93Sm-mtzso)\r\n","image":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"base64":"data:image/png;base64,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","aspectRatio":1.4705882352941178,"src":"/static/7321bc14c3d3100c72185cb55c811871/ee604/b55851c7c3767e850bb979133119ef78.png","srcSet":"/static/7321bc14c3d3100c72185cb55c811871/69585/b55851c7c3767e850bb979133119ef78.png 200w,\n/static/7321bc14c3d3100c72185cb55c811871/497c6/b55851c7c3767e850bb979133119ef78.png 400w,\n/static/7321bc14c3d3100c72185cb55c811871/ee604/b55851c7c3767e850bb979133119ef78.png 800w,\n/static/7321bc14c3d3100c72185cb55c811871/b491d/b55851c7c3767e850bb979133119ef78.png 1161w","srcWebp":"/static/7321bc14c3d3100c72185cb55c811871/58556/b55851c7c3767e850bb979133119ef78.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/7321bc14c3d3100c72185cb55c811871/61e93/b55851c7c3767e850bb979133119ef78.webp 200w,\n/static/7321bc14c3d3100c72185cb55c811871/1f5c5/b55851c7c3767e850bb979133119ef78.webp 400w,\n/static/7321bc14c3d3100c72185cb55c811871/58556/b55851c7c3767e850bb979133119ef78.webp 800w,\n/static/7321bc14c3d3100c72185cb55c811871/68746/b55851c7c3767e850bb979133119ef78.webp 1161w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}}}}]}},"pageContext":{"limit":12,"skip":0,"numPages":1,"currentPage":1,"id":5592,"name":"Organic","slug":"organic","country":"US"}},"staticQueryHashes":["3949754563","4179947113","4202924991"]}