End of Drought is Great for CA’s Weed Cultivators, but Innovation will Ensure the Future

California’s cannabis growers are loving the rain — but wisely still planning for what comes next.

By Zack Ruskin

For Californians, this winter’s record rainfalls have mostly been a welcome, if surreal, sight. 

Following its driest three-year stretch on record, a series of severe storms across the state in early 2023 have seen the state get off to a decidedly soggy start. How much rain are we talking about? Well according to the U.S. Drought Monitor, by April,  California was sitting at about 92% drought-free

Though the acute effect involved dangerous flooding and the return of 30-square-mile Tulare Lake, which had last been seen a century ago, it can only be described as exceptionally good news for the multitude of agricultural industries who call the state home and rely on having a rainy season for their livelihood.

Among them are the Golden State’s licensed cannabis cultivators, many of whom continue to grow outdoors or with hybrid greenhouse set-ups. In either case, access to a steady supply of water is essential, as cannabis can be a notoriously thirsty crop. In fact, a 2021 study from Illinois State University classified both indoor and outdoor grows as “water-intensive.” 

And while the recent spate of rain has offered California a temporary reprieve from extreme drought conditions, they do not represent a permanent solution to the state’s long-term climate and water concerns. 

That’s why small craft cannabis cultivators like Moon Made Farm’s Tina Gordon are working to ensure they make the most of this water-logged moment.  

Photos by Zack Ruskin

Located in the lush landscapes of southern Humboldt, Moon Made Farms is an award-winning farm known for producing sun-grown, sustainable cannabis. In addition to imbuing every bud with a touch of personal TLC, Gordon also relies on a range of permaculture regenerative practices as part of her overall cultivation process.

One result of this effort, as she explained, is the opportunity to take full advantage of the skies when they begin to pour.

“This has been a heavy rain year,” Gordon acknowledged, “but one of the benefits of cultivating cannabis outside, in living soil, is that we can increase the soil’s water holding capacity. That way, we’re able to save all that water, as opposed to allowing it to runoff.”

A similar mindset anchors operations at POSIBL, which bills itself as a “cannabis farm of the future.” 

Photo by Zoe Wilder

In their case, greenhouse technology is powering this California company’s commitment to “use less to do more.” To that end, POSIBL’s cannabis is sustainable and pesticide-free. As a cultivator that operates year-round, POSIBL also grows its cannabis with consideration for California’s ongoing water issues.

Speaking with Outpost, POSIBL Chief Executive Officer Jesus Burrola acknowledged the importance of cultivating cannabis in a water-conscious way and outlined the steps his company is taking to ensure they never hit a dry spell.

Photo by Zoe Wilder

“We recognize the water issues that are currently present in our environment and that will continue to be present going forward,” Burrola said, “which is why we’ve incorporated this present variable into our growing strategy.”

Specifics of this effort include their practice of irrigating cannabis hydroponically on a coco-based substrate. The result is that POSIBL can tailor the irrigation process to provide their plants with the water they need during the growth stage without ever having to waste an extra drop. POSIBL also employs a minimal to no drainage strategy, achieved via the use of a climate control computer in which a process involving light accumulation informs growers how efficiently water is being consumed by the plants.

Photo by Zoe Wilder

When necessary, POSIBL can easily readjust their strategy — an effort the company’s CEO underscored is one that’s overseen with constant and careful vigilance.

“This is all monitored and controlled in real-time, daily, by our production team, for a continuous and efficient irrigation execution,” Burrola noted.

Given the meticulous precision of their cultivation process, perhaps it’s no surprise that POSIBL has more big plans to come. 

Speaking on his company’s future expansion, Burrola shared that he hopes to incorporate POSIBL’s next generation of greenhouses with a recirculating water system, achieved in theory by means of capturing drainage from reservoir tanks, then treating it with UV so it is then clean for reuse.

With California’s water future so tough to predict, the state’s cannabis cultivators now face what may ultimately become an existential burden. Though woefully undeserved, ignoring the situation won’t help, making it incumbent on growers to incorporate sustainable, regenerative practices into their cultivation strategies.

By following in the footsteps of Tina Gordon’s Moon Made Farms and Jesus Burrola’s team at POSIBL, hopefully California’s lineage of legendary weed can continue to float above the competition, no matter the weather.

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