Opportunities and challenges in waste management within the medicinal cannabis sector

Medicinal and recreational Cannabis sativa is a sector that has exploded in popularity both in academia and industry due to the relaxation in legislation concerning the controlled substance. This business is currently valued at $37 billion in annual sales. As cultivation of cannabis increases, waste from this sector will increase, providing a challenge, with legislative constraints of Delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol, and opportunity in sustainable management of this waste. Research into the waste management of cannabis production waste is vital as sustainability of waste management is a pressing issue and will provide opportunities for businesses to make use of said waste. This paper will use databases such as Scopus, Web of Science and Google scholar to identify literature to review related to cannabis waste and cannabis waste management systems. It has been discovered that the majority of plant biomass waste is generated during the cultivation period, with growing media being a large contributor to waste generated. Currently there are four methods for appropriate cannabis waste management, that are landfilling, composting, incineration and anaerobic digestion. Although there is this current information available further research is required to determine the most efficient method of disposal and pre-treatments, or novel approaches, to improving valorisation of this waste.

Automated summary

The cannabis industry is booming due to relaxed legislation, and as waste from cultivation increases, there is a need for sustainable management. Research into cannabis waste management is vital as it provides opportunities for businesses. Current methods include landfilling, composting, incineration, and anaerobic digestion, but further research is needed to determine the most efficient approach.