How It’s Grown: Eco-Conscious Growing Methods

Last updated May 5, 2026 | Published on March 11, 2021

On any farm, in any part of the world, growing consistent, high-quality crops demands significant environmental resources — water, nutrients and energy — and generates waste, from plant material to packaging to wastewater.

Cannabis is no exception. Because it’s often grown in controlled environments, cannabis requires careful water, lighting and climate management, which comes with environmental impacts. Many Licensed Producers (LPs) are addressing those concerns by experimenting with traditional production methods and adopting creative, eco-friendly solutions.

Here’s how innovations in water use, soil health and smart technology are helping reduce the environmental impact of growing cannabis.

Reusing water

A single cannabis plant can absorb up to 23 litres of water each day. Multiply that by hundreds of plants, and the scale of water use becomes clear — as does the potential impact of capturing and reusing it.

To conserve water, some LPs build large ponds that act like massive rain barrels, storing millions of litres of rainwater and melted snow. This water is filtered and then disinfected with ultraviolet (UV) light.

Water recycling doesn’t stop there. Almost all of the water used in grow rooms can be recaptured and reused. Drip irrigation systems further reduce evaporation waste and watering frequency. Some LPs even turn to aquaponics: In this sustainable cultivation system, plants are grown in water, not soil. Fish swim in the water, and their waste provides nutrients for the plants, which naturally filter the water so it can be recirculated.

See how Licensed Producer Abide is improving cannabis products through sustainable farming and soil research.

Employing smart tech

Although implementing smart technology requires LPs to make significant initial investments, it can make a big difference in allocating resources. Automated systems can fine-tune every environmental variable — humidity, millilitres of water per plant, temperature, light, fertilizer and air exchange — ensuring plants get exactly what they need while minimizing waste.

Licensed Producers use these systems to remotely monitor and adjust conditions down to the millilitre or degree. If one metric is off, LPs immediately get an alert. Some systems perform thousands of checks and measurements throughout a crop cycle (from seed germination to final curing) to ensure resources are used as efficiently as possible.

Smart tech also helps LPs reuse energy. Some operations run partially off-grid, using diesel generators and cold-water systems, and capturing excess heat for greenhouses to operate independently. Others reclaim heat from air-handling units outside their grow rooms to warm irrigation water.

Beyond efficiency, technology is reshaping the physical layout of growing facilities. As an alternative to sprawling greenhouses, vertical farming systems allow for multiple tiers of plants within the same footprint, increasing yield without expanding square footage. By dividing facilities into strain-specific microclimates, LPs can use less energy to heat smaller areas. Even staggering the lighting schedules helps lower peak energy demand and reduce carbon emissions.

Using eco-friendly soil and growing materials

Choosing an eco-friendly growing material helps reduce the amount of waste that ends up in a landfill and can naturally support plant health. Coco coir, a byproduct of the coconut industry, is a popular sustainable growing medium.

Some LPs go a step further by creating their own private living soil blends, enriched with natural ingredients like glacial rock dust and crab meal. These soils foster a thriving ecosystem of beneficial bacteria, fungi and nematode worms that actively work together to break down organic matter, unlocking nutrients for plants.

Healthy soil also contributes to sustainable pest management. Instead of relying on synthetic pesticides, LPs can use natural oils, such as fish, sesame and garlic oil, to suffocate pests that snack on plant leaves. Beneficial insects like nematodes and ladybugs can be released to help control undesired ones. Health Canada also permits certain products for plant health that use beneficial fungi to out-compete harmful pathogens and strengthen plant resilience.

Turning on energy-efficient lighting

While indoor growing protects plants from many pests and environmental fluctuations, it requires artificial lighting. Traditional high-pressure sodium (HPS) lights can raise grow-room temperatures by up to 17°C, demanding energy-consuming cooling systems to maintain a consistent temperature.

As a result, LPs are shifting to hybrid lighting strategies. Greenhouses with glass roofs maximize natural sunlight, which can be supplemented by broad‑spectrum light-emitting diodes (LEDs) when needed. LEDs use up to 40% less energy than HPS lights and produce far less heat, reducing the load on ventilation and air-conditioning systems.

Looking for eco-friendly bud? Ask your budtender or check out the About This Product section on any product’s OCS.ca page to find out how it was grown and produced.

Growing greener for the future

When LPs commit to sustainable practices such as water recycling, smart automation and living soil, the environmental benefits add up. These innovations not only reduce their environmental footprint but also pave the way for a more resilient, responsible cannabis industry.