Washington cannabis growers could soon generate new revenue and help reduce greenhouse gases by selling plant waste with a bill that passed the House on Thursday. Stalks stems, leaves, and roots of cannabis plants that aren't considered dangerous waste under state law often end up in landfills, producing methane gas as they decompose.
Legislation now awaiting a signatures from Gov. Jay Inslee hopes to redirect cannabis waste toward new product creation and composting. The bill would allow cannabis cultivators and processors to sell plant byproducts containing less than 0.3% THC concentration to the public.
Repurposed cannabis wouldn't be used for consumption. Buyers could use plant waste for composting and various hemp-related products, including hempcrete for construction or insulation and hemp fiber, which comes from the plant's stem, for textiles, ropes, and animal bedding.
Blue Roots Cannabis, a producer and processor in Spokane County, disposes of around 2,200 pounds of cannabis waste a month, filling a large 40-yard container with a mixture of ground cannabis byproducts and other organic material, operations manager Seth Shamberg said.
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