Land Use

Cannabis agriculture influences a region’s resources, economy and communities for generations. Using maps and satellite images, we can measure deforestation, habitat vulnerabilities, and wildfire risk. By analyzing trends, we connect land use policies to the health of forests, habitats and communities.

• Cannabis farms in California’s Emerald Triangle tend to cluster in ecologically sensitive areas near unpaved access roads, steep slopes, and aquatic habitat.
  Butsic et al. 2017, Butsic and Brenner 2016
• Rapid expansion of small cannabis farms has led to fragmented habitat in biodiverse forests of southern Oregon. Our results suggest impacts on mammals, fish, and other wildlife.
  Parker-Shames et al. 2021
• The area of cannabis cultivation nearly doubled during a period of rapid regulatory change from 2012-2016. Sites near high-quality salmon habitat, far from paved roads and on steep slopes, also increased.
  Butsic et al. 2018
• A small number of large cannabis farms comprise the majority of permitted cultivation area in California. These larger farms tend to be newer and sited in areas more favorable to meeting environmental regulations. In Humboldt County, farm size increased despite policies to encourage small farms.
  Dillis et al. 2021, Schwab et al. 2019
• Cannabis farms are more likely to be located in high to very high fire hazard severity zones than any other type of agriculture in California.
  Dillis et al. 2022
• Land use policies control who grows cannabis where and how, especially at the local and county scale.
  Polson 2015

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