Pubdate: Wed, 05 Aug 2015
Source: Sacramento Bee (CA)
Copyright: 2015 The Sacramento Bee
Contact: http://mapinc.org/url/0n4cG7L1
Website: http://www.sacbee.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/376
Author: Ellen Komp
Note: Ellen Komp is deputy director of California NORML.
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v15/n429/a10.html

POT GROWERS NOT WASTING WATER

Media outlets, including The Sacramento Bee's editorial board, and 
public officials, including the Sacramento County Board of 
Supervisors, have seized upon statements from state Fish and Wildlife 
officials about marijuana and water use in a few creeks in Northern 
California to greatly overstate the problem, causing unfair backlash 
for genuine medical marijuana patients.

California NORML has challenged the figure of 5 to 10 gallons of 
water per day that's being used to further vilify cannabis during the 
drought ("Pot grown outside is a waste of water," Editorials, July 31).

Fish and Wildlife did not measure or calculate their water usage 
estimate, but rather lifted it mainly from a 2010 paper from the 
Humboldt Growers Association. But Humboldt farmers tend to grow 
extremely large plants, while those eradicated at large, illegal 
grows are generally much smaller and therefore require only a 
fraction of the water.

California NORML and Sacramento NORML have surveyed marijuana farmers 
around the state and discovered that they are using far less water 
than the Fish and Wildlife estimate, especially when they are able to 
shorten their growing season. The Mendocino-based Small Farmers 
Association's drought management plan calls for goals of a half 
gallon to 1 gallon per plant per day.

The more pertinent way to look at crops' water usage is final yield. 
We calculate an average of 0.72 gallons needed to produce a gram of 
marijuana, no matter how many plants are grown or how big they are. 
Since a "joint" is about a half gram, producing one dose of medical 
marijuana requires less than half a gallon of water.

By comparison, an ounce of beef requires more than 100 gallons of 
water, a serving of rice around 50 gallons, and a 4-ounce glass of 
wine between 15 and 29 gallons.

Even using Fish and Wildlife's figures, marijuana uses a tiny portion 
of the 35 million to 45 million acre-feet of water used annually by 
California agriculture. Marijuana, licit and illicit, is estimated to 
use a mere 3,000 to 15,000 acre-feet of water yearly.

Ironically, counties such as Sacramento that have cultivation bans 
will be unable to sign up farmers for the Central Valley Water 
Board's pilot program regulating water use and discharge, due to be 
finalized in October. The ultimate answer is better regulation, not 
more fines and bans.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom