Gov. Jared Polis Announces Pilot Program to Increase Cannabis Industry Efficiency

[dropcap class=”kp-dropcap”]O[/dropcap]n Jan. 31 in Colorado, Gov. Jared Polis, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) and the Colorado Energy Office announced programs to help the state’s cannabis and beer industries be more energy-efficient.

“We are committed to taking the necessary steps to improve our air quality and reduce harmful emissions,” said Gov. Polis in a press release from his office. “These pilot programs combine a few of the things that Colorado is known for: Environmental responsibility, craft beer, and cannabis. I applaud our state agencies and private partners for working together on these innovative programs to help protect the Colorado way of life.”

In addition to the political support, Amy George, CEO and founder of Earthly Labs; Charlie Berger, co-founder of Denver Beer Co.; and Max Cohen, CEO and founder of The Clinic, were also in support of the initiative.

“The Clinic consistently strives to incorporate sustainable practices into our operations,” said Brian Cusworth, director of operations for The Clinic. “We know that the nation is watching Colorado to see how cultivators of legal marijuana handle our responsibilities to our customers, our community and our planet. With our participation in this project, we’ll demonstrate how an ethical, civic-minded cannabis industry can make a difference while still engaging in smart business practices.”

“The Colorado Energy Office’s newly launched Colorado Cultivators Energy Management pilot program is a partnership with local electric cooperatives and municipal utilities to provide eligible cannabis cultivation businesses with no-cost technical energy use assessments to better understand energy use drivers and cost-effective energy management opportunities,” the press release explains. “The pilot will work with five utilities and 15 licensed cannabis cultivation businesses. The program also offers no-cost resources to rural electric cooperatives interested in developing long term plans to support cannabis industry utility customers.”

It’s not surprising that more great cannabis legislation is coming out of Colorado. The state recently implemented a law to protect employees who use cannabis, and even folks on probation are allowed to use medical cannabis.