Outdoor cannabis cultivation offers significant environmental benefits, from sequestering carbon to remediating polluted soil. But most U.S. cannabis is grown inside greenhouses with sophisticated climate-control systems and high-powered lights that require a lot of energy — over 1% of total U.S. electricity use. With the cannabis market projected to reach $70 billion by 2028, the industry’s energy issues could go critical if left unchecked.

On this episode of The Sweaty Penguin, explore the effect of cannabis cultivation on the environment, and how policymakers might help steer the industry’s environmental, economic, and social impacts in the right direction. With special guest Dr. Brandy Phipps, Research Assistant Professor of Food, Nutrition and Health at Central State University.