Mason Walker remembers September 2020 as a month he’d rather forget. At East Fork Cultivars in Oregon, wildfire smoke from the Slater Fire blanketed the cannabis crops. Mason and his team began coughing and wheezing, quickly realizing the need for respirators. “Air quality was terrible during our flowering and ripening periods,” Walker recalls. For 15 days, the plants were shrouded in smoke, putting both employees and crops at risk.
🌫️ Wildfire Smoke: An Unexpected Threat
The East Fork team wore respirators daily, with some even sleeping in them to avoid the smoke. At home, Walker sealed wall cracks and installed HEPA filters. The 33-acre farm narrowly escaped the flames, but the smoke left its mark. Some cannabis batches absorbed the smoky odor, leading to customer complaints. One buyer claimed their purchase smelled like a barbecue pit. Fortunately, a surge in cannabis sales during the COVID-19 pandemic helped the farm recover. “Without the COVID boom, we might not have survived,” Walker admits.
🌎 Climate Change: A Growing Concern for Cannabis Farms
East Fork’s experience highlights a larger issue: climate change. As extreme weather events become more common—wildfires, droughts, floods—cannabis farms face shrinking yields and declining revenues. A 2023 UC Berkeley study revealed that wildfire smoke exposure is a bigger predictor of crop damage than proximity to fires. In California alone, the economic impact of wildfire smoke on cannabis farms in 2021 was estimated at $1.44 billion.
🔥 Wildfire Smoke vs. Cannabis Quality
According to Dr. Christopher Dillis of UC Berkeley, cannabis farms suffer more from smoke than from direct flames. The flowering stage is especially vulnerable. “Some cannabis yield losses exceeded all other crop losses combined,” Dillis explains. The smoke affects cannabinoid content and can degrade the product’s aroma and flavor, leading to financial losses.
💧 Droughts and Heavy Rain: Double Trouble
Droughts are another growing concern. A 2024 study found that intense drought conditions reduce both the yield and cannabinoid content of cannabis plants. Rising temperatures and declining rainfall only make matters worse. Additionally, heavy rains push nitrates from fertilizers into groundwater, affecting both crop quality and local ecosystems.
🚱 Water Scarcity and Illegal Operations
In California, climate variability affects water access every 10-13 years. Legal cannabis growers face challenges from illegal operations that divert water from essential resources like streams and ponds. “When drought or heavy rain threatens our site, we have nowhere else to go,” Walker notes. Strict regulations prevent farms from relocating easily, as they must adhere to fencing, security, and surveillance requirements.
🏛️ Lack of Government Support
Cannabis farms face another hurdle: limited access to government aid. While hemp growers qualify for Farm Service Agency loans and disaster assistance, cannabis farmers do not. “Operating on razor-thin margins without federal support makes things incredibly difficult,” Walker adds.
🌿 Resilience and Adaptation: A Way Forward
Despite the challenges, East Fork Cultivars is adapting. Walker partnered with a testing lab to study how different cannabis varietals respond to wildfire smoke. “We discovered that strains with higher sugar content were more affected by smoke, while those with more terpenes showed resilience,” Walker shares. These insights could help the farm cultivate more climate-resilient strains in the future.
💡 Final Thoughts: The Future of Cannabis Farming
East Fork Cultivars’ story reflects a broader trend. Climate change is reshaping the agricultural landscape, and cannabis farms are on the front lines. From wildfire smoke to water scarcity, the challenges are real—but so are the opportunities for adaptation and innovation. With strategic planning, scientific research, and perhaps more supportive policies, cannabis farms can weather the storm and continue to thrive.