Maintaining water security is a pressing issue for the next century, what does that mean for thirsty crops like cannabis? The booming medicinal and recreational markets across the U.S. means a surge in cannabis cultivation. But in the arid southwest, where water supplies are dangerously low, many worry that cannabis cultivation will use a disproportionate amount of water. Does cannabis affect water security?
Is Water Security an Issue in New Mexico?
New Mexico is a water-stressed state. In late 2019, the Rio Grande dried up again, a trend that looks set to continue. A report published by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (2013) doesn’t paint a pretty picture of what the future may hold. With the population projected to increase by at least fifteen percent by 2030, along with an ever-depleting water supply, New Mexico has real issues around water sustainability.
Eighty-seven percent of the state’s public water comes from groundwater—that’s more than any other southwestern state. According to the report, groundwater levels in Santa Fe are down. They’ve dropped 300 feet in the past ten years.
So what does it mean for cannabis cultivation? And what will become of water supplies in the state with increased cannabis cultivation from impending recreational cannabis legalization? The increased demand for water in an already water-depleted state may well require some radical solutions.
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