Medical cannabis is doing a world of good, and we've barely scratched the surface of what that might look like. We're only going to learn more about cannabis, its weird parallel evolution with humanity and its apparently endless medical applications. But that also means we have a lot of work to do before cultivation methods catch up with all the potential demand.

While everything to do with the illegal marijuana trade has flourished under a veil of secrecy over the last several decades, demand isn't going anywhere—in fact, it's reaching new heights. As a result, growers are finding new political motivation to speak out in favor of sensible regulations focused squarely on the safety and health of the planet and on delivering a consistent, high-quality product. Self-policing will only go so far—we need a united agenda if we want medical cannabis to be taken seriously and bring relief to those who need it most.

Indoor vs. Outdoor Growing

In Washington State, which is still one of the nation's most important pilot programs for medical pot, industry experts discovered that indoor marijuana cultivation—the most obvious "fix" for disruptive or poisonous outdoor growing—was extremely demanding when it came to energy. Annual cannabis cultivation and harvesting eats up the same amount of power as 1.7 million homes.

To help mitigate the energy intensity of the indoor marijuana cultivation industry, Washington state decided to allow cultivation outdoors in environments with strict security coverage. This has significantly reduced the power required for lighting, temperature, and humidity controls and several other mechanisms that make this natural crop surprisingly technology-intensive. Moving growing operations from unpoliced public lands and residential basements to high-tech, passively climate-controlled greenhouses lets farmers take advantage of nature's gifts and lessens our impact on farmland.