(This is an abridged version of a story that appears in the January issue of Marijuana Business Magazine.)

When California marijuana dispensary owner Chris Jennings decided to apply for a cultivation license in 2016, he helped organize a meeting for growers to discuss water and other natural resource regulations with several city and county officials.

That meeting, attended by about 80 growers, was beneficial.

But it provided only a smidgen of the information Jennings and other growers in Lake County would need to meet county and state environmental requirements related to:

Water and air quality.

Energy use.

Waste discharge.

Wetlands, rivers, fisheries and plants.

Pesticide use.

Even “cultural resources” such as ancient human artifacts.

So, what’s a business owner to do with so much information to digest and then act on?

One can hire consultants, as did Jennings, owner of Lakeside Herbal Solutions, a medical and recreational marijuana dispensary in Clearlake, California.

Moreover, experts told Marijuana Business Magazine that investing in environmental improvements and efficiencies – even beyond those required by law – might mean the difference between success and failure in these days of razor-thin wholesale margins among growers.

Click here to read experts’ thoughts on:

The increase in environmental rules.

Getting help from regulators.

Finding an adviser.

The costs of conducting a study.

Problems business owners might encounter.

What to expect in the future.

Click here to take a deeper dive into how marijuana cultivators can conserve energy.