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to have as devastating an outcome, thanks to fewer available sugar molecule binding sites. Aside from plant-penetrating symptoms like smoketaint, there are several other ways that crops can suffer. At higher levels, smoke ash can affect photosynthesis and plant respiration by coating leaves. Large amounts of ash in the soil can cause an influx of PH resulting in shock. Depending on the severity of overall exposure, some plants may see stunted potency production as the plant reacts to a stressed environment and stops converting CBGA to THC(A) and other cannabinoids. As many of us will likely be inhaling our Cannabis products, it is pertinent to look at pollutants with more scrutiny than an edible agricultural item. When fires rip through manmade structures and neighboring crops, the resulting ash can carry potentially hazardous elements like pesticide byproducts, plastics, heavy metals and much more. If producers fail to remove all of the residuals, they may end up getting smoked with the final product. As always, this means you need to trust where your bud is coming from. Producers and processors known for their dedication to quality are more likely to move responsibly and transparently around potentially tainted products. Check out your favorite brand’s practices on their website, blog, social media pages and more. Ask your favorite budtender for the low-down or hop on social media and reach out to companies that you are curious about. When Cannabis testing standards When discussing the are compared to other crops, they may Understanding how effects of wildfire smoke appear strict. But they haven’t been wildfire smoke molecules enter grapes may give us on agriculture, there are formulated for the list of pollutants that persistent wildfires bring. Even before the more insight into their effects few areas more studied concerns of the 2020 wildfire season, in on other plants with waxy than the wine grape. a 2019 audit the Secretary of State sugcuticles (like the outer memgested several amendments to testing rules, including a brane of Cannabis trichomes). The Australian recommendation for the heavy metal and microbiologWine Research Institute has looked extensively ical contaminants (other than E. coli) – two categories into how smoke compounds enter wine grapes. not currently required. Their findings show that “the primary mode of What does this all mean for concerned consumers? entry for smoke-related volatile phenols into the As usual, it is best to take test results seriously – but vine, and accumulation in the fruit, is directly via also understand that we are far from fully identifying the waxy cuticle on berries.” While significant what else is in our Cannabis – with or without wildfires. amounts of volatile compounds can be found It means we may or may not have an interesting shopin green, leafy parts of the plant, the institute ping season ahead. suggests that movement from the vine to fruit is While most of the goods from your favorite indoor slow. Additionally, it is acknowledged that the grows will likely remain unchanged, we could see growth stage, plant variety, smoke composition outdoor products that appear slightly lower in THC or and exposure length play a part in the extent of have a mildly compromised flavor. This may result in the damage. an influx of distillates and products made with color reSo how do we apply all of this information to mediation techniques. While that is not exactly the end Cannabis? First and foremost, it is important to of the world, picky patients and connoisseurs may want note that Cannabis contains fewer sugars than to stock up on their current favorites before the 2020 wine grapes – although some are undoubtedly harvest hits the shelves. present in the plant, as they are an essential part of growth and bud production. This Amanda Day is a multimedia artist and journalist based means that, even though smoke phenols could in Eugene, who has worked for Oregon Leaf since 2019. potentially find their way into buds, it is unlikely
The West Coast isn’t unfamiliar with wildfires, but the catastrophic events of this season made a continual appearance in headlines, grabbing the attention of more people than in recent years. As Cannabis consumers assess the damage and look to a future with more frequent fires, some may question the potential effects of smoke pollution.
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rom sunlight suppression to ash residue, what will this season’s (and future) fires mean for the average product in dispensaries? Without Cannabis-specific studies, it’s difficult to depend on any existing information. But a look at other agricultural sectors may give us insight into our concerns for the Cannabis plant and consumer health. When discussing the effects of wildfire smoke on agriculture, there are few areas more studied than the wine grape. This is because of something notoriously known as smoke-taint. The term refers to an unpleasant taste left in wine when a crop has been overly-exposed to surrounding smoke. Many studies have looked into the cause of the phenomenon, as it often devastates growers and the wine economy of affected regions. The chemistry behind this taste-tarnishing process involves phenolic compounds (a large class of aromatic molecules) that can bind with the grape sugars. According to a study by the American Chemical Society, “fermentation unleashes the phenols, breaking these conjugates apart and making the smoky phenols tasteable.”
nov. 2020
STORY by AMANDA DAY @TERPODACTYL_MEDIA