U.S. Reps. Earl Carter (R-GA) and Doug Lamborn (R-CO) are urging the Biden administration to consider the threats that the potential nationwide legalization of marijuana would pose to the nation’s energy grid and environmental goals.
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The lawmakers call for more research into the energy consumption required for marijuana cultivation, citing “serious concerns regarding the energy and resource-intensive nature of marijuana cultivation,” in a letter addressed to Department of Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, Energy Information Administration Administrator Joseph DeCarolis, and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan.
Carter and Lamborn said marijuana cultivation alone accounts for 1 percent of nationwide energy consumption and uses twice as much water as maize, soybeans, wheat, and wine grapes.
“As Congress debates whether to advance marijuana legalization, the American people must have a better understanding of the environmental costs of this rapidly growing industry. If the Administration seeks to reduce emissions and protect our environment as aggressively as it has previously committed, we must have a comprehensive view of where emissions and other pollution occurs, as they will likely only grow,” the lawmakers stated in their letter.
The GOP lawmakers cited the California Independent System Operator and Midcontinent Independent System Operator, which both echoed their concerns that the…