CBD is a fast-growing niche, with thousands of brands and immense future perspectives. CBD industry growth will only intensify in the future. Thus, CBD products are expected to reach $1.9 billion in sales in 2022.
CBD is attracting considerable public interest because of its promise of treating various physical and mental health issues. Whether CBD is extracted from hemp or marijuana, it remains identical on a molecular level. You can learn more about many types of CBD oil at Healthcanal.
However, does a new industry always make our lives better in the long run?
For instance, cars were invented to enable fast communication and transportation. But now, the US automotive industry produces one-third of the air pollution in the country. Like night follows day, the same question arises towards the CBD industry.
Sure, CBD products are intended to bring people relief and relaxation. However, do CBD brands think of the future? Will this new industry be beneficial not only to our health but also to nature? Check answers to these questions below.
The Damage Agriculture Does to Our Planet
The first question is, “how contaminating is agriculture?” With all these agrochemicals, erosion, and water waste, the agricultural industry has a disastrous impact on the environment. It brings around 20% of all greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere.
These gases, especially CO2, lead to global warming and horrific climate changes. Unless we reduce their emission, our planet will turn into a giant microwave oven, roasting us alive. What about CBD companies?
At first sight, flourishing hemp farms will only make us closer to our inevitable demise. But in reality, things are a bit different.
Hemp is by Far the Most Eco-Friendly Solution
Hemp might be the most eco-friendly crop by far. There are multiple reasons for that:
Endurance
Hemp requires fewer water resources to grow. It is fuss-free, and you can grow it outdoors while marijuana requires greenhouse conditions, temperature and humidity control, and much more water. Compared to marijuana, hemp requires less space for successful growth. Besides, you can harvest it every four months because it grows way faster than other crops.
Resistance
Hemp is far more resistant to diseases and insects, so you don’t need to use pesticides to get a rich pick. Besides, hemp prevents most weed plants from growing. Due to this, it requires fewer herbicides than other crops.
Hemp Absorbs More CO2 than Trees
Hemp’s negative global warming potential (GWP) makes it a viable solution for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Considering that it grows very fast, CBD companies help reduce CO2 emissions and produce more oxygen with their farms than forests.
Hemp Contains more CBD than Marijuana
CBD hemp brands choose hemp for producing their products since this cannabis strain contains far more cannabidiol than the marijuana plant.
Therefore, hemp:
- Doesn’t require pesticides.
- Needs fever herbicides.
- Needs less water.
- Is rich in CBD.
- Absorbs CO2 better than trees.
- Requires less space to grow.
As you can see, hemp itself is a beneficial crop that has a little environmental impact. Let us then discover how CBD brands make their production more sustainable to minimize environmental pollution.
Sustainable Approaches to CBD Farming
CBD is a super resilient plant, allowing CBD companies to limit pesticides and herbicides in their farming practices. Thus, most brands rely on rich soil, rain, and sunlight.
Soils weathered with agrochemicals lose their ability to produce rich crops, let alone accumulated toxins that make grown plants harmful. In contrast, natural farming allows CBD companies to preserve their fields’ ecology and prevent soil erosion.
Eco-Friendly CBD Extraction
Reputable CBD oil companies use CO2 extraction, which maximizes CBD quality. At first sight, the “CO2” part questions the ecological benefit of such extraction tech. However, it is the most environmentally friendly way of processing hemp oil. Here is why:
- Superficial CO2 extraction is safe, leaving no toxic waste.
- It doesn’t bring a lot of emissions to the atmosphere.
- It is renewable.
Sustainable Packaging
Many CBD companies start switching to eco-friendly products. Thus, they use glass CBD oil bottles instead of plastic ones. Glass is far easier to recycle than plastic. The truth is that a used plastic bottle never turns into a new one. Instead, it becomes a teddy bear stuffing or a mat. On the contrary, you can melt a glass bottle and make a new one from it as many times as you need.
Other approaches to sustainable packaging and distribution include:
- Recyclable paper.
- Plant-based inks.
- Less plastic in CBD oil droppers.
The CBD Industry Moves towards Ecologically Friendly Production
Today, more and more CBD companies shift towards organic CBD production. Adhering to organic hemp production standards, they obtain USDA certificates to ensure the highest CBD quality. Also, lots of CBD brands begin using renewable energy to cover their farming needs. Thus, using sustainable CBD production practices and renewable energy becomes a long-term trend for the brands.
Final Thoughts
The CBD industry is far more eco-friendly than it seems to be at first sight. Thanks to sustainable approaches to CBD farming, extraction, and distribution, CBD brands do minimum damage to the environment. More than that, hemp itself improves ecology. Therefore, CBD products’ nature, combined with responsible production approaches, makes the CBD industry far more organic and environmentally friendly than other agricultural niches.
This article was written by Jamie Taylor
Jamie Taylor is the founder and CEO of ValidCBDOil, a CBD review and information service. Jamie is a medical expert with over ten years of experience. Working as a physician assistant, he helped people overcome chronic, nerve pain, inflammatory and neurological conditions. Once CBD was officially permitted for regular and medical use, Jamie decided to establish ValidCBDOil. He aims at giving his readers comprehensive information regarding CBD usage, brands, and their products.
