Cannabis electricity use is far greater than that of legitimate agriculture, or even manufacturing beer. For example, the energy needed to make merely one marijuana cigarette is enough to manufacturer 18 pints of beer.[1]
As explained by the NCSL:
“ | The electricity consumption of growhouses is staggering when compared to business and residential use. In 2015, the average electricity consumption of a 5,000-square-foot indoor facility in Boulder County was 41,808 kilowatt-hours per month, while an average household in the county used about 630 kilowatthours. A 2012 report on the carbon footprint of indoor production found that cannabis production makes up 1 percent of national electricity use, and in California, the top-producing state, that number rises to 3 percent.
An indoor facility can have lighting intensities similar to hospital operating rooms, which are 500 times greater than recommended reading light levels. These facilities can also have 30 hourly temperature or fan speed air changes, which is 60 times the rate in a normal home. Put another way, a four-plant lighting module uses as much electricity as 29 refrigerators. On a monetary level, the finished products come in at an energy cost of $2,500 per kilogram.[1] |
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