The Importance of Grow Room Control in the Cannabis Industry

Cultivators in the marijuana industry have recently been under heavy scrutiny and have accumulated a watchful eye (or should I say nose!) on the growing issue of grow room odors that are spreading into dispensaries and floating into the outside air of the environment. After a successful victory for many U.S. states in their win to legalize both medicinal and/or recreational marijuana, the cannabis industry now faces a new issue of grow room odors that are spreading and flooding the outdoor environment. This issue has led to the calling of stricter regulations for these cannabis grow houses when it comes to odor control – and the odors that are produced from the high volumes of cannabis plants growing in these environments.

Many cannabis growers and cultivators typically focus their attention on the important growing conditions such as the plants nutrients, pH water balance, and the type of lights that are used inside their grow rooms – in an effort to produce the highest quality cannabis plants. However, little to no attention is placed on the issues surrounding odors that are being produced from the cannabis grow room. The impact that cannabis and the odors produced from the plant and its smoke can have on air quality both indoors and outdoors can be significant and is something that cultivators are needing to take into consideration inside their grow houses and dispensaries.

In this article we are going to dive deeper into the odor issues surrounding the cannabis industry and learn more about the best resources to use to control and mitigate these strong cannabis odors.

Cannabis Grow Room Odor Problems

For those who are cannabis growers and enthusiast the smell that is emitted from these plants are something that does not bother them and is a smell that they actually enjoy. However, for those who are not as keen to cannabis and the smells they produce may have issues when these weed odors permeate into their environment. There are many different factors that can play a role in the severity of your odor problems such as the size of your grow house, the number of plants within your grow space, and if you are located near residential areas that can impact the air quality for these individuals.

Whether the issue is from a greenhouse or from a local dispensary for cannabis the odors can circulate inside the indoor air and be flushed outside, contaminated and wafting its odors to surrounding areas – including residential homes, commercial businesses, and even schools that are in close proximity to these cannabis environments. There has been conflict, anger, and even law suits filed from individuals that are left dealing with these cannabis odors from grow houses and dispensaries near them, as they fight to eliminate the noxious cannabis odors that are produced into their air.

Local Odor Control Regulations

The number of states that have now adopted either recreational and/or medicinal marijuana use has grown exponentially in the last year, with more and more states passing laws for marijuana use. As these numbers grow, there has been further implementations of regulations set-forth to these cannabis cultivators and grow houses – especially in regard to odor control.

Many cities where there are high volumes of the population within distance to these grow houses or dispensaries, are now required to develop comprehensive odor control plans (OCP). Odor control plans are submitted to governing bodies and are based on industry best practices and the minimum requirements set by ASHRAE. There are three different types of businesses that are required to develop odor control plans and they include regulated businesses (such as pet food manufacturing or marijuana), a business that has received five or more complaints from individuals within a 30-day period, and a business that emits odorous contaminants that exceed state regulatory standards for odor intensity.

Why Does Weed Smell

The odors produced from cannabis (aka weed) can vary in strength and sometimes overall smell, depending on the different strains that are grown inside a grow house. Often times when we discuss the smell of cannabis, we correlate it to the distinct odor of skunk spray. This skunk spray smell from cannabis is caused by the terpenes that are found in the cannabis plant – terpenes are organic compounds that are also found in a variety of other plants. Terpenes can smell like thiols, which is why it has the same type of odor as skunk spray. The number of terpenes that can be present within a cannabis plant can be upwards to hundreds – with each terpene having its own unique odor, which is why some cannabis plant strains smell differently.

Marijuana Industries Effects on Air Quality

Have you ever stopped to consider the potential affects that cannabis and the smoke it produces can have on the air quality of the area in which the cannabis is released into? A recent study conducted by Atmospheric Environment, has contributed data to better understand how the expanding cannabis industry – including grow houses and dispensaries are affecting air quality within their areas. Cannabis produces chemicals from its composition that will enter into the air and alter the quality of the air that it comes into contact with.

Cannabinoids are chemical compounds that interact with receptors in the brain to produce that ‘high’ that is associated with weed. Among the other chemicals that are produced from cannabis is also potentially harmful volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Growing cannabis will result in the emission of highly reactive volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the air. The VOCs that are produced from the cannabis will react with oxides of nitrogen in the presence of sunlight and will create ground-level ozone – a pollutant that is very dangerous to human health and the environment. Ozone emission from the cannabis plants is something to significantly fear and is a major concern when dealing with air quality around cannabis grow houses.

Indoor Cannabis Grow Houses & Dispensary Air Quality

The growing and manufacturing of cannabis indoors will produce a variety of toxins into the air that can taint the quality of this air. From the smell of the cannabis plants to the different chemicals that it produces into the air. Indoor grow houses can be a less than desirable place for good quality air and this can even float into the on-site dispensaries as well.

The production of marijuana concentrates uses both solvents and solventless extraction methods that are produced from very reactive VOCs and these VOCs will be released into the air by emission from the plants. When these VOCs enter into the air of your indoor cannabis grow house it will have a direct impact on the quality of the air that you breathe in this environment, and thus may require the use of a face mask in this environment to mask the cannabis aromas and chemicals.

Another issue that comes about with cannabis grow houses is the odors that are produced from the cannabis plants in the environment – it will be released into the air and significantly affect the smell in the indoor space. The odors from cannabis smoke are the result of many different chemical compounds that include cannabinoids, sugars, esters, nitrogen compounds, hydrocarbons, lactones, amino acids, alcohols, steroids, proteins, ketones, terpenes, and more.

Can You Be Allergic to Cannabis?

More than 50 million Americans will suffer from allergies each year – with different allergens in the environment triggering these allergy-symptoms. However, what if you find that you are allergic to something in your job such as cannabis plants in an indoor grow house? As more and more studies are being conducted, there has been a rise in marijuana allergies in the United States. Similar to ragweed, cannabis pollen grains are very resilient and can spread far and wide in the air causing irritation and allergy-like symptoms.

Cannabis sativa or marijuana can cause a number of allergic symptoms such as allergic rhinitis (hay fever), conjunctivitis (pink eye), skin rashes, and asthmatic symptoms. If you are someone that is working in the cannabis profession and are allergic to cannabis than you will need to implement methods to eliminate the chemicals and odors produced from cannabis in the air.

How to Eliminate Weed Odor in Commercial Cannabis Grow Rooms

Implementing proper odor management in your indoor commercial cannabis grow room is important for both the environment and for the minimization of issues with odor control regulations set in place by the government. Although those in the environment of the grow space may desire that strong smell of the cannabis plant, others who are in close proximity to this grow space may not and you will need to set up odor and chemical elimination methods to contain this issue. What is the best way to control these strong chemical odors from the air in these large commercial cannabis grow rooms – is there anything that can work for this environment?

Air Filters and Purifiers for Weed Odor Control

Today in many commercial cannabis grow houses there is a heavy use of filters that use activated carbon technology for odor control and mitigation. Carbon has been used for some time and will help to combat these odors for a certain amount of time. However, the issue that carbon presents is its lack of durability within this heavy chemical and odor environment – as the carbon filter will act like a sponge and release the captured odors and chemicals back into the air once it reaches maximum capacity on the filter media. In an environment like a commercial grow house it could mean that you are replacing your carbon filters monthly if not bi-weekly- this is a lot of filters and a lot of money spent on filters for your grow house!

In lieu of using these inefficient filters, it will be beneficial to your grow house to use a filter that contains a technology that will actually eliminate and neutralize the chemicals and chemical odors that are produced into the air from the various cannabis plants in the space – especially a filter that will last for longer than 1 month! The EnviroKlenz HVAC Air Filter uses a patented earth mineral technology that has been tested and proven effective against the different chemicals found in the smoke and residual of cannabis. The chemically reactive compounds, like some of the acids, phenols, nitrogen compounds and cannabinoids are broken down by EnviroKlenz. This filter will last in this highly toxic environment for up to 6 months of use before needing to be replaced in the air handling system.

The EnviroKlenz Air Purifier utilizes the same technology as the EnviroKlenz HVAC to break down and neutralize the different compounds found in cannabis that can enter into the air of the environment. The larger particulate compounds that are produced from the cannabis plant will be captured as well by the EnviroKlenz Air Cartridge and the fine particulate matter produced will be captured by the HEPA filter that is found within the EnviroKlenz Air Purifier – offering double protection from chemicals, chemical odors, and particulate matter in the air.

The EnviroKlenz Air Purifier and EnviroKlenz HVAC Air Cartridges have been used to successfully reduce and contain odors from the storage of the cannabis compounds in law enforcement centers (i.e. drug safes), assist in cleanup of contaminated properties, and lower the concentration of cigarette smoke in apartments with an active smoker.

The stricter regulations on commercial cannabis grow houses has led to the need to utilize devices that can successfully and efficiently mitigate the odors that are produced from the cannabis plants in the grow room. With the use of a helpful air purifier for cannabis chemical and odor mitigation, you can productively eliminate the odors from these grow houses and rapidly.