Lurgio, Chase

Sarnie, Hannah

Wahba, Nick

English

Ithaca College

Mapping Cannabis FarmsMarijuana and California's Emerald TriangleHannah Sarnie ‘20, Chase Lurgio ‘17, Nick Wahba ‘17Professor Jake Brenner, Ithaca College Department of Environmental Studies and SciencesThe objective of this research project is to survey and map marijuana farms (Cannabissativa or C. indica). Ultimately this will allow us to understand the environmentalimpacts of marijuana cultivation, a quasi-legal agricultural activity that has boomed inrecent years. The work involves digitizing indoor and outdoor cultivation sitesusing satellite imagery from 2008-2014 available in Google Earth.(Fig. 5 Unmarked cannabis cultivation area)How to Identify a GrowIntroductionMethodsHow to Identify a GrowSatellite imagery provided by Google Earth is used to map both types of cannabisgrows: indoor greenhouses and outdoor gardens. Our team uses 2012 imagery asthe baseline. We use summer imagery because cannabis is actively growing and morevisible July through September.1. Select watershed as a unit of analysis2. Systematically grid each watershed3. Search through the grid squares4. Identify indoor and outdoor grows (Fig. 6)5. Digitize the area of the grow (Fig. 2)6. Count the number of plants for each outdoor grow, or note the presence of agreenhouses for each indoor grow.TIP: The time slider feature (Fig. 3) is then used to toggle back and forth to compareimagery from 2005 - 2014 in an effort to record how long the site, or structure, hasbeen present.The main region of focus is a portion of northernCalifornia known as the “Emerald Triangle,”comprised of Humboldt, Mendocino, and TrinityCounties (Fig. 1). We focus on this region because itis estimated that 70—80% of cannabis consumed inthe United States originates from the EmeraldTriangle (Corva, 2014). However, it has also beendifficult to quantify production given the secretivenature of cannabis cultivation.(Fig. 1 Map of the Emerald Triangle1)Environmental ImpactsWhat Comes Next?AcknowledgementsThis data will be part of the first-ever direct measurement of cannabis cultivationin this region, and the first-ever estimate of the production volume. Withspatially-explicit data on cannabis production, local environmental impacts canthen be modeled.Next Steps● Finish mapping the Emerald Triangle● Try this in any other places where cannabis is grown● Analyze and measure the social impact of growing cannabis on economies, job growth, communities (change in land structures), urbanization● Evaluate how the legality of cannabis affects the environment and local communities, and what would happen if it were to become completely legal to grow Identifying Features● Plants are aligned in rows or a gridded pattern● Plants are consistent in shape, size, and color● Images were taken during the cannabis growing season (July -September)● Water source is present● Greenhouses located near the outdoor grow ● Land has been clearedFig. 4 shows a greenhouse (1)identified by its size, elongatedshape, color, and proximity to theoutdoor grow (3). To the left of thecultivation site there are watertanks (2).What can you find in Fig. 5?(Fig. 4 Example of a typical indoor and outdoor cannabis grow)(Fig. 5 Unmarked cannabis cultivation area)231● Growing cannabis demands a large water supply, especially in dry areas such as Humboldt County. As a result, water withdrawals are high.● Most grows are clustered in headwaters of tributary streams, where water is limited for threatened and endangered fish. ● Due to the quasi-legality status of cannabis, growers avoiding capture plant on steep slopes.(Fig. 2 Example of a digitized outdoor grow)We would like to thank the Department of Environmental Studies and Sciences at Ithaca College, as well as Van Butsic and his research team at UC Berkeley. 1. Wynd, R. (n.d.). Evaluating the impact of marijuana cultivation on watersheds in Northern California [Scholarly project].ESPM 233 GIS for Environmental Science2. Brenner, J. C., & Butsic, V. (21 April 2016). Cannabis (Cannabis sativa or C. indica) agriculture and the environment: a systematic, spatially-explicit survey and potential impacts. Environmental Research Letters,11(4). 3. Corva, D. (2014). Requiem for a CAMP: The life and death of a domestic U.S. drug war institution. International Journal of Drug Policy, (25), 71-80. Retrieved April 11, 2017.(Fig. 3 Google Earth time slider) (Fig. 6 Flowcharts to help identify indoor and outdoor grows)2014(Fig. 7 Example of how one cannabis cultivation site changed from 2009 to 2014)20122009 2014Decision Tree:How to Identify  Outdoor Grows and GreenhousesGreenhousesGreen	CirclesYesUniformGrow Not	a	growNot	UniformGrow	 Not	a	growNoIn	past/futureGrow	 Not	a	growNo	past/futureGrow Not	a	growRectangularNoNot	a	greenhouseYesTruck/houseNot	greenhouseNot	truck/houseGreenhouse

Mapping Cannabis Farms: Marijuana and California\u27s Emerald Triangle

https://digitalcommons.ithaca.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1001&amp;context=whalen

Mapping Cannabis Farms: Marijuana and California\u27s Emerald Triangle

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