CHICO, Calif. – With hemp and cannabis production on the rise, many have considered growing it commercially. But it’s important to keep in mind certain practices to ensure environment and consumer health.
In November 2018, hemp became legal to grow anywhere in the country with cannabis growing still being expanded, not yet legal in Butte County.
Due to the growing popularity of hemp and pot products, many have considered growing it commercially. However, growing hemp and pot can be much more strict than growing other agricultural crops. Now make sure to follow the local and federal rules for it but growing it naturally can be important for your health and the environment’s health.
Pesticides and rodent poison can turn into toxic chemicals when ignited, but Crystal Keesty believes there are other alternatives to fighting those pesky pests:
“Using horticultural oils for pest control. There are beneficial bacteria that you could use. You can cover crop. You can use beneficial plants that repel insects like daisies and marigolds. There’s some beneficial fungus even that you can use as a folier application that get rid of all the caterpillars that love to eat the hemp flower buds.”
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife also recommends installing bat and owl boxes to take care of that pest problem. They also recommend you use companion planting, take advantage of natural vegetation and choose the right strain of product suitable for the climate here. All of these measures should keep the environment healthy and ensure better health for those using the products as well.
I talked to some people in Downtown Chico to see if they care about the methods in which their product is grown. Here were their reactions:
“I wouldn’t want anything not natural used on my cannabis product.” – William Walker, Chico
“I do believe that doing it naturally is probably the best way possible. So you should probably stick away from insecticides and other harsh chemicals, especially because we don’t know the exact ramifications of what it does to the environment itself.” – Sebastian De Avila, Chico
