Should otherwise Healthy Marijuana Waste be Destroyed according to Health Canada – a Discussion
Health Canada currently requires marijuana waste be destroyed in its entirely. Pro-marijuana advocates are arguing that this might be a huge missed opportunity, contributing to Canada’s waste problem while ignoring alternative uses of ‘marijuana waste’. Annually, thousands of kilograms of waste is being tossed out from licensed marijuana producers in Canada. The unfortunate truth of the matter is that Health Canada’s policy prevents the possible opportunities that may exist from repurposing this waste product.
As a Toronto waste management company, we believe in minimizing waste at every opportunity and finding ways to repurpose the waste that we make as a region. There are some marijuana-growing businesses that toss as much as half of their grown plants into recycling or composting. There may be opportunities to reuse the stem as fibre, turning it into products like T-shirts, animal feed, and even housing siding, among other possibilities. The stalk, stem, and leaves could be used as construction insulation or even reinforcing cement.
Currently, what’s stopping producers from creating all of these amazing products and reducing their waste output is Health Canada’s tight regulations. As marijuana comes to be legalized, it’s hopeful that some of these regulations may change however nothing has indicated they will. Sadly, we might look back on this period similarly to how we look back to fifty years ago where we threw all of our waste into landfills without ever considering the possibilities.
This is no doubt a debate that Canada is going to have to have in the months to come, determining whether it’s the right move to knowingly increase our waste when there exists the potential to use the parts of the marijuana plant that are not being dedicated already to medicinal or recreational use. The unfortunate complication regarding why Health Canada has ordered marijuana waste to be destroyed has to do primarily with the plant material containing amounts of THC. The leaves, stalks, stems, and everything underneath the bud may have trace amounts of THC. That means having to destroy healthy plant waste, in accordance with the wishes of the current body of legislation.
Even with the limits of the regulations guiding marijuana growing in Canada, numerous companies are engaged in attempting to find ways to use waste products of the plant. There’s research being done on juicing, edibles, and all sorts of potential uses.
The future of Canada’s waste problem is going to be dependent on new, creative reuses and recycling of the products that are currently being tossed out into the garbage. As a society, all forms of waste are going to have to be closely examined for the possibilities of reuse.
As a waste management company in the GTA, there’s nothing more important to us than ensuring waste is being properly disposed of and that any products that can be recycled are recycled. There is something to be learned from other regions where marijuana has been legalized, who are currently struggling with waste problems similar to Canada’s that has yet to set in. No matter where one may figure on the marijuana legalization debate, there needs to be more research conducted into uses of cannabis and the cannabis plant, ensuring that there’s not excessive waste being created that could otherwise be avoided.
