Drought Damages Ohio’s Marijuana Crop

The drought that has hit much of the country has also affected Ohio’s marijuana crop, The Plain Dealer reports.

In many areas of the state, marijuana plants are nowhere near their normal height of four to five feet, the article notes. “It hasn’t looked healthy at all,” Vinton County Sheriff Shawn Justice told the newspaper. “It’s not growing well, and we’re not finding as much.”

Ohio has received much less rain than usual this year. “There’s no question that the weather has had an impact,” said Scott Duff, an agent with the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation, who oversees the state’s seizures of marijuana. He said Southwest Ohio has seen the largest decrease in marijuana seizures. The drought has affected all types of crops in the area, he noted.

Marijuana growing patterns have been affected by the drought. Some growers are putting their plants closer to their homes and outbuildings, instead of in fields, to keep them closer to water.

It is not yet clear whether the drought will affect marijuana pricing. While a pound of marijuana generally sells for about $1,500, the price for highly potent marijuana grown in southern Ohio can sell for as much as $3,000, according to the newspaper.