The California wildfires are putting over 90% of its cannabis farms at risk

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Cannabis crops are suffering because of a string of fires across the state

As wildfires ravage the state of California, cannabis growers in different locations struggle to protect their crops. For years, this has been unfortunate news as the Golden State remains an area where wildfires are a constant occurrence. This has undoubtedly affected cannabis crops disproportionately, even more than other major crops in the state.

California, especially in the north, has been devastated by the ongoing wildfires. This has endangered many of the growers who are usually located in the northern part of the state due to regulations restricting cultivation in low wildfire risk areas, such as the Central Valley.

According to projections recently given by different experts, more than 94% of legal cannabis will be grown in hotspots in California by the end of the century. The study published in Ecosphere last week makes it clear that for a variety of reasons, marijuana is extremely vulnerable to wildfires.

While California legalized recreational use of the plant in 2016, a vast majority of the crop is still grown in rural areas due to its illicit history. Different regulations restrict marijuana cultivation in certain counties, such as the Central Valley area. There the story would be very different as it is considered a region with little threat of wildfires.

There is no doubt that these wildfires could have a serious impact on the marijuana industry for years to come. California itself is responsible for a quarter of all licensed cannabis sales in the US, but that could be affected as time goes on if steps are not taken to mitigate these weather risks.