One of the biggest threats facing cannabis cultivators is the increasing number of forest and grassland fires in prime growing areas like Northern California, Oregon, and Washington. There is not only the threat of an entire crop going up in flames, but smoke and ash from nearby forest fires can stress or even kill the plants. If they do survive, the crop could be contaminated with ash, wood smoke, and potentially chemicals, reducing its salability, and hence, value.
Worse yet, cannabis growers do not have access to federal crop insurance, unlike other agricultural operations, and coverage from private insurers is limited as well. In short, wildfires pose an existential threat to both outdoor and greenhouse operations, which can also be set ablaze by a forest fire.
This is why it’s crucial that cultivators take precautions to reduce the chances of their crops burning up and make plans for protecting them against smoke and ash if a wildfire is nearby.
Cannabis and Hemp Growers at Risk
A 2021 study by the University of California, Berkeley, “The Threat of Wildfire to Cannabis Agriculture in California,” found that cannabis farms are more likely to be affected by wildfires than other crops. This threat of wildfires is “particularly problematic for the rapidly developing cannabis industry in California, which includes farms located outside of traditional agricultural zones and within landscapes potentially more prone to wildfire,” such as near forested areas in mountainous regions, the authors wrote. The same holds true for two other states in which cannabis operators prefer to cultivate: Oregon and Washington.
Are There Any Insurance Options?
Probably not. Cannabis growers don’t qualify for federal crop insurance programs and subsidies. Even hemp — a federally legal crop — has limited access to protection. Worse still, private insurers are unlikely to offer cannabis policies due to the high probability of a crop burning in the event of a wildfire. There’s another factor insurers are skittish about: the high value of cannabis. It’s estimated that the premiums needed to cover a cannabis field would be double or triple the cost of insuring a vineyard.
Protecting Your Fields from Fire
You can take a page out of the U.S. Forest Service’s book and create a fire break around your fields ahead of each growing season. Having gaps in vegetation forces the fire to slow down and settle since it has nothing to burn.
Experts recommend creating a 40-foot-wide area around the crop that is completely devoid of vegetation that’s been cut bald down to the earth, according to a blog on the website of agricultural products wholesaler Triminator. Try to remove as many roots and other bio-materials as possible during the process.
While most cannabis farms use drip systems, you can consider installing sprinklers as well that you could point towards the perimeter before evacuating during a wildfire emergency.
Smoke and Ash
The other risk growers face is contamination from smoke and ash due to wildfires, which may be nearby or even hundreds of miles away. While tenting the plants to protect them would likely not be feasible, polyethylene sheeting held up by PVC piping could keep ash from accumulating on your plants.
If the plants are in containers, you could consider moving them to an indoor facility if feasible. However, that could mean running afoul of laws regulating cannabis cultivation. You can contact your state’s regulatory office to ask in advance if this is allowed.
Contaminated Crops
Experts differ on the effects of fire on the quality and safety of cannabis, but most agree that it does have some effect. Smoke and ash may change the flavor of the cannabis, which would affect its market value. It’s unclear if the cannabis would fail lab tests for contamination. It could if the fire burned infrastructure, fuels, and manmade materials.
But even if the cannabis is cleared as safe for sale, that doesn’t mean it’s safe for smoking or even extraction. Lydia Abernethy, senior science consultant at Steep Hill Labs, told Cannabis Business Times that “heavy smoke or particulate exposure degrades the product quality to such a degree that most people won’t knowingly purchase it.”
The Takeaway
In short, the best way to protect your growing operation is through planning and creating a defensible space around your crop. You should also have a plan for what to do if a fire may be approaching to protect your crop from decimation or from smoke and ash.
You should have a window of time for this, as you may need to rent or purchase equipment.