As cannabis farming continues to grow across California, many experts and researchers fear that big agribusiness will move to dominate the industry, overshadowing small and mid-sized farms. In a recent Op-Ed for the Los Angeles Times, postdoctoral fellow Michael Polson, who conducts research with UC Berkeley’s Cannabis Research Center, voices concern for the loss of smaller farms. Pointing to research on how consolidation has impacted other agricultural sectors, Polson argues that smaller farm operations tend to offer numerous benefits, such as uplifting and maintaining rural communities while promoting healthier, more sustainable environments.
"Rarely do we get a chance to construct an agricultural system anew," writes Polson in the article. "With cannabis, California has a chance to create an alternate model as cannabis prohibition crumbles nationally and worldwide. Can we do things differently this time?"
Read the full opinion piece here on the Los Angeles Times website.