As more states pass laws permitting marijuana use, the legal barriers to growing cannabis are crumbling. But wildfires pose risks to many outdoor growers in California and the Pacific Northwest.
Jonathan Vaught is CEO of Front Range Biosciences, a Colorado-based biotech company that breeds hemp and provides nursery expertise to cannabis growers.
He says wildfire smoke can temporarily block out sunlight. That can shorten the time the plant spends growing branches and leaves.
“It can stunt the growth,” he says. “It can even, with a photosensitive plant like cannabis … cause it to go into early flowering.”
That can reduce the overall yield.
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