Join Our Campaign for Organic Cannabis!

The drug war isn’t over yet, but it’s not too soon to advocate for regenerative organic cannabis!

Black-market marijuana is synonymous with pesticide-heavy, resource-intensive indoor hydroponic production.

Now that many states have chosen to legalize cannabis for medical and recreational use, we have an opportunity to advocate for regenerative organic cannabis, grown in healthy soil and sunlight, without chemical pesticides or synthetic fertilizers.

TAKE ACTION: Join our campaign for organic cannabis by signing this petition. cannabis plant outdoors at sunrise

We’ll use this petition when we submit comments on state initiatives like the one underway in California—California’s OCal Comparable-to-Organic Program—to make rules for organic cannabis.

The federal government doesn’t recognize legal cannabis, which means it can’t be certified under the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Organic Program. But that hasn’t stopped states from stepping up to create their own standards.

There are also non-governmental certifications available to organic cannabis growers, including Demeter Certified Biodynamic  and Sun + Earth Certified.

States developing comparable-to-organic cannabis programs should look to these certifications and require the inclusion of healthy soil in their standards.

If you agree, please join our regenerative organic cannabis campaign by signing this petition!

Sign the Petition

PETITION

We write in support of requiring the use of soil in all state-regulated comparable-to-organic standards for legal cannabis.

Absent federal regulation of legal cannabis via the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Department of Agriculture or National Organic Program, states must step up to protect people from exposure to toxins and pollutants associated with the production and consumption of cannabis.

Decades of black-market cannabis production have normalized the use of toxic pesticides and growing methods that are incompatible with human and environmental health, including many that are prohibited in the production of agricultural products for human consumption.

As cannabis comes under legal regulation, it is an opportunity to create new norms for healthier, safer and more environmentally friendly cannabis production.

Part of this evolution is the creation of state-regulated comparable-to-organic cannabis programs.

The Organic Consumers Association has launched a regenerative organic cannabis campaign to advocate for comparable-to-organic standards that closely adhere to the highest-quality non-governmental certifications, specifically Demeter Certified Biodynamic and Sun + Earth Certified. 

To foster a comparable-to-organic cannabis industry that maximizes human and environmental health, it is necessary that healthy soil is the core component of the standard.

Healthy soil is essential to the principles and foundation of organic agriculture. Organic farmers increase soil fertility through a number of regenerative practices that increase soil organic matter, including the use of biologically active compost, cover crops, green manures, companion planting, diverse crop rotations and the integration of livestock. Increasing soil organic matter enhances the soil's ability to absorb water, reducing the impacts of drought and flooding. It allows the soil microbiology, in cooperation with plant photosynthesis, to draw carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and store carbon and other nutrients needed to grow healthy crops in the soil. Beneficial microscopic organisms, found in abundance in organic soils, interact in a symbiotic manner with plant roots, strengthening the plants resistance to insects and disease, as well as assisting the plant in water and mineral uptake. The healthier the soil, the healthier the plant.

Any legitimate state-regulated comparable-to-organic cannabis program must include healthy soil in its production standards.

Thank you.