The uncertainty of the pandemic has forced many people to be more health-conscious and aware of what they’re putting into their bodies.
Being healthy is so much more than just vigorously washing your hands — although that doesn’t hurt.
It’s also being mindful of the hidden chemicals or pesticides that we eat, drink, and even smoke.
While cannabis has been deemed essential due to all its healing, medicinal qualities, it’s important to research how your cannabis was cultivated.
But, how does one determine if what they’re smoking is actually organic or just more corporate greenwashing?
Consumer-Friendly Recognition
Adam Duke, director of operations for the Midwest Sustainable Sungrowers Association and a Cannabis Certification Council board member, said unlike organic produce at a grocery store, it’s often a challenge for people to differentiate between organic and nonorganic cannabis.
“When polled, most people believe what they are consuming is organic and natural. They have no clue it’s been grown in a synthetic fiber, it has been fed with waste products, basically from chemical manufacturing and weapons manufacturing, the ammonium, the nitrates, are byproducts of bombs, and it’s full of salts,” said Duke.
Duke emphasizes the point of having an organically-grown certification is to provide a baseline for people to have recognition of what is organically grown, whether it was sustainable or not, versus something that’s completely synthetic.
The Cannabis Certification Council (CCC) created a thorough organic standard for indoor, greenhouse, and outdoor cannabis production.
The “Organic Grown Cannabis Standard” is designed as the baseline organic standard for legal commercial cannabis producers around the world.
The CCC is also creating a unique seal that will be easy for consumers to identify in retail environments, which may help deter fraud in the marketplace.
Duke said the CCC also plans to add value to some of the other certifications that already exist, such as Kind Bud, Sun+Earth, and Clean Green Certified.
Unfortunately, those aren’t as easy to identify in the marketplace.
Organically grown, however, is familiar.
It’s a phrase consumers will recognize.
“I think, in light of the circumstances of the world and how things have changed since March, people are going to pay more attention to what they are doing and what they are consuming,” said Duke. “It’s only a natural progression that people are going to start asking more questions regarding what they’re consuming and if they’re really going to trust the producers they’ve been relying upon, or whether they should seek something that aligns a little bit more with their values.”
Rigorous Organic Certification Process
Green Gorilla is an example of a company in the cannabis industry that prioritizes the importance of transparency with their consumers.
The company is pioneering the certified-organic hemp space.
![](https://cannatechtoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Dr.-Av-Singh1-copy-1-875x1024.jpg)
They recently announced that their massive, 1,474-acre farm in Arizona has been certified as USDA Organic.
They went through a rigorous process to achieve the sought-after organic certification, which included on-sight inspection, a full review of farm activities, and a comprehensive verification of their inputs to ensure compliance.
Gorilla FarmCo’s farm activities are currently being overseen by Av Singh, PhD.
He’s consulted various farms around the world about their sustainable and organic practices.
With the help of Dr. Singh, Gorilla FarmCo has sustainably irrigated its land and established regenerative soil practices through the use of organic cover crops while using and conserving pure water sourced directly from aquifers on its land.
![](https://cannatechtoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Copy-of-Katherine-and-Steven-on-tractor-1-scaled-1024x536.jpg)
“We have been able to prove ourselves through successful test crops and by ensuring every step we take is done with USDA organic standards in mind,” said Saxton. “Farming organically and sustainably not only makes our farm-grown organic hemp a premium, but it also helps our company be environmentally friendly”.
SOURCE
420 INTEL https://420intel.ca/articles/2021/04/01/your-cannabis-organic-understanding-clean-cultivation