From wildly unpredictable weather patterns to unwanted cross-pollination, there’s a lot to worry about when you’re an outdoor cannabis farmer. So Colorado built a safety net.
Passed in June, House Bill 21-1301 helps outdoor cannabis cultivators prepare for damaging weather such as early snowstorms; build working groups to discuss how to reduce cross-pollination between different types of cannabis; and even plan for business in the event of federal legalization.
Most Colorado municipalities, including those in Boulder County, prohibit outdoor grow operations. The largest percentage of the state’s outdoor cannabis cultivation is located in Pueblo, where in both 2019 and 2020, early snowstorms resulted in millions of dollars of losses for outdoor marijuana and hemp growers in Southern Colorado.
And because storage requirements for cannabis include safety measures like cameras, it can be tough for growers to quickly cut crops and move them to nearby facilities. HB 1301 gives cultivators the opportunity to create emergency crop loss plans, with approval by the Marijuana Enforcement Division, for such situations.
Read more at boulderweekly.com