Locals residing in a small town within New York State have been complaining about an overpowering chronic smell wafting over from a nearby cannabis farm. That is the town of Moreau, in Saratoga County.
The farm has been completing a harvest over the past couple of weeks and it has become quite noticeable. Town residents were not even aware they were living near an outdoor cultivation operation.
“We didn’t know what it was at first until we did some digging ourselves and walked and saw this new commercial operation right down the road,” local Jamie Wallace told NEWS10 ABC.
He’s wondering why nobody was alerted or notified about the large collection of skunky-smelling plants in their backyard.
“The biggest problem is these people came in to set up shop, 6,000 to 8,000 plants, in a location that is not compliant and the skunky smell is a hazard,” an anonymous local told New York’s newspaper Times Union. “It’s craziness.”
These two New Yorkers are among dozens in Moreau who are now concerned about their property value and pollutants. They are worried that the cannabis flower is emanating 3-methyl-2-butene-1-thiol — a sulphurous compound that can irritate the respiratory tract, cause headaches or even result in nausea.
“Some days, the smell is extremely powerful,” a local by the name of Valerie said. “You almost get the munchies.”
Read more: California’s top delivery company set to shut down, lay off 500 workers
Read more: Johns Hopkins study shows synthetic THC helps treat Alzheimer’s
Greenhouse containment a possible solution
One of the cultivation property owners, Orson Klender, told NEWS10 ABC that he and his son Devin were working to resolve the issue by engineering and building a dozen greenhouses.
He says they are also attempting to mitigate the powerful scent by planting flowers and lavender.
Devin Klender believes that there is immense potential in New York’s cannabis market. The state’s adult-use industry has been thriving for just under two years.
“We recognize the enormous opportunity presented by New York State and their focus on social and economic equity within the adult-use recreational cannabis roll-out,” Klender said last month.
Grand View Research has estimated that New York’s cannabis market will ascend with a considerable compound annual growth rate of 15.3 per cent over the next 5-6 years. Since last fall, state cannabis sales have more than tripled.
rowan@mugglehead.com
