Marijuana production uses 1 percent of all U.S. electricity
Unlike the smokable plant, marijuana production ain’t green.
The driver of this van has no idea he's killing baby polar bears.
Marijuana has a Godzilla-sized carbon footprint, with indoor production consuming one percent of all electricity produced in the United States, according to a study.
The resulting carbon dioxide emissions from all those power plants is equivalent to operating 3 million badly painted Volkswagen Microbuses (see photo).
Here’s some more interesting facts:
* Energy costs account for 25 percent of marijuana wholesale costs.
* The energy required to produce one joint is equal to running a 100-watt light bulb for 17 hours.
* A four-by-four-foot lighted “production module” uses the same energy as 30 refrigerators.
Of course, after reading all that, you’re probably wondering how much in energy costs the U.S. could save if we just let people grow marijuana outdoors.
The answer? $5 billion, or 2.5 million pounds of weed.
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115 comments Add your comment
Smoky
April 15th, 2011
11:15 am
Hey Shaggy, are you HIGH? You spelled (Numbers) incorrectly. Your spelling of it was NEMBERS. Better get yourself a pound of that BUD son.
lwa
April 15th, 2011
11:18 am
I want to know who grew the weed to come to this conclusion? Who or what company participated in the study?
TRUE CHRISTIAN
April 15th, 2011
11:18 am
I can’t believe that the AJC would write an article about the DEVIL’S WEED where CHILDREN could read it! It’s a true fact that marijuana kills more people in one year than alcohol and handguns combined. You can look it up on the internet it is totally true.
mark
April 15th, 2011
11:18 am
What is the carbon footprint of 850,000 pot arrest each year?
Did this study mention the new high efficent LED grow lights. They use over 70% less the currently used HPS or MH. Maybe the growers just need to upgrade and they can cut their footprint to 0.03% of electric use. That way pot smokers can feel even better after smoking a Jay.
mark
April 15th, 2011
11:22 am
True Christian. Look up the facts yourself first. No one has ever die from THC toxicity. #1 killer is Cigs, #2 poor diet and lack of activity, prescription drugs, cars crashes are all at the top. Stop the reefer madness, legalize it!!! Tax It!!! regulate it!! 70years of prohibition have made the cartels rich and our prisons full.
C-BO
April 15th, 2011
11:30 am
Nobody smokes outdoor schwagg anymore……only the high grades that I sell
Bluntman
April 15th, 2011
11:35 am
TRUE CHRISTIAN, your ignorance is astonishing. That’s all I wanted to say.
deb
April 15th, 2011
11:38 am
So legalize it so it can be grown outside where it belongs.
deb
April 15th, 2011
11:39 am
TRUE CHRISTIAN, if you believe everything you read on the internet, you are in trouble.
your a moran
April 15th, 2011
11:51 am
cool story Hansel. LOL
I’d like to see the numbers on how much energy is wasted producing ciggarettes and fast food every day in this country. You know, two things that actually KILL people and are undoubtedly more harmful for your body than marijuana.
You anti-legalization people need to wake the f*ck up. For every single argument you have against legalization, there are a dozen better reasons to legalize. Get your heads out of the sand and think like adults. If you don’t participate, fine, but turning a blind eye to FACTS