Platform: Glance.com

Scammer Details: Freelancer was requested to contact Robert Hart (a.k.a. rawcontentplatform on Skype) after being approached on Glance.com by a 'Steve Fowler'.

First Message:
Good Morning and thank you for finding time to reach out to us. We are looking for a writer for a duration of 6 months. We need someone with a pretty fast turnaround since we have clients requesting the articles on the go. Basically, the articles will be assigned and required back in a few hours. The extent of research is rather minimal so you can be sure that will not affect the quality in any way, even as we will demand strict adherence to the guidelines given, including the deadlines for each assignment. Our starting budget is USD 0.038 per word. Payments are made every fortnight and you get to choose your preferred payment method. The articles cover a wide range of topics; from home improvement, finance, news articles, product descriptions etc. I would like to know the niches you're not very confident in. Also, we are available for up to 22 hours a day so in case we have a deal, we will not consider time zones as so much of an issue but we would need to know where you are based and what your preferred working hours would be. Kindly reply to these questions and feel free to ask any you may have. If everything else is agreeable to you, I would like us to start today 1:00pm EST. We can handle one article and then proceed in earnest tomorrow.

Cannabis waste recovery issues and solutions

There is no need to be a radical activist to know our planet is grappling with environmental issues. Global warming, acid rains, air pollution, urban sprawl, ozone layer depletion, water pollution, climate change and so much more… Sadly enough, cannabis blooming industry is now considerable part of the problem, due mostly to an evident lack of knowledge and sometimes laws and regulations being literally enforced. Some industry leaders and thinkers are trying to address the issues, and the problem could become the solution we need.

Global pollution

Everyone uses plastic on a daily basis. We wrap everything we use in plastic bags. Most of the food we buy is carefully sealed in plastic containers. The car we drive is made out of plastic. It undoubtedly brings weight reduction, ultimate safety and has such a high cost efficiency. The impressive list of our plastic use is endless. Global media are eagerly trying to raise public awareness. They broadcast numerous alarming reports the ecological disasters caused by our plastic addiction. Everyone saw those appealing images of stranded mammals and seabirds that seem to have died because of having digested plastics. Plastic ban regulations on one-way packaging are progressively introduced in many countries over the civilized world. Major cities and developed countries now forbid the use of shopping bags, straws, cups, etc.
Waste disposal is a major issue in our contemporary world. Our populations become more sensitive on the subject and they do their best to improve many aspects of the waste disposal and recycling management.

Cannabis industry waste problem

Cannabis industry is blooming. Legalization occurs in more and more countries, the last of which being Canada on October 16, 2018. The pot industry is regrettably part of the global ecologic problem. Dispensaries are using an incredible amount of single-used plastic bags. And to name just a few of plastic used in this industry: labels, stickers, envelope, wrappers, bubble sheets, oil containers, vape pens… Weed has to be stored according to strict regulations. Most companies don’t have much choice to be compliant with the law other than using plastic. And most of consumers don’t often bring their reusable bags as they come by their favorite dispensaries. Imagine you decide you want to try ten different varieties of weed, you’ll find yourself getting back home with ten different plastic bags.

Example of Washington State

Washington State has been undoubtedly a leading example in the cannabis industry. In 2012, Washington became the first U.S. state to legalize recreational use of marijuana. The state previously legalized medical marijuana in 1998. Under state law, cannabis is legal for medical purposes and for any purpose by adults over 21. However, Washington’s weed industry faces a major waste problem. The problem is a 1.7 million pounds problem. That has been the amount of the local industry waste since 2014. A big part of the issue is the difficulty to track where this “problem” is dumped. State law requires growers to keep meticulous track of their waste, to the nearest gram! There is no legal obligation to track the destination of the waste. A thorough investigation revealed that major industrial composting companies had collected a ridiculous amount of cannabis waste. This leads to the amount of 1.7 million pounds of compostable waste being sent to landfills.

Laws and Regulation

Lawmakers are part-responsible for the plastic sea inevitably caused by cannabis industry. Packaging regulations request proper labelling, unit measurement, and child-resistant packaging. The law requires that all herb must be properly stored in child-proof containers with robust push-down-to-open lids sealed in plastic. Those sealing are stockpiling in landfills along with pre-weighted plastic bags and other non-recyclable goodies from local dispensaries.
The use of plastic to wrap up herb goods is purely economic. And second, most recycling facilities don’t accept cannabis packaging even if it’s recyclable because cannabis isn’t federally legal. Cannabis waste is considered medical waste in many districts, the main reason being that grey water could find itself flushed down the sewer and be allegedly a potential hazard.

From the problem comes the possible solution

Marijuana industry has the creative potential to become part of the solution. A vast majority of the people using recreational or medical cannabis care about the world they live in. Plastic use in dispensaries could easily be replaced by recyclable and reusable packaging options.
An even better idea is the use of hemp. Hemp has always been grown for fiber, extracted from the stem. Hemp is one the leading renewable plant materials being explored and used to create bioplastics. This material has many of the same qualities as traditional plastics. And it’s perfectly eco-friendly. Growing hemp is minimal impact on the environment, it is both restorative and regenerative. The use the plant is the basis of our interest.
Composting should be used more by growers. Cannabis bi-products are entirely compostable. It seems legit to ascertain that most of growers don’t even know used soil and plant materials are compostable or recyclable. They use the soil once and dump it to landfills. Throwing this material into a landfill massively slows natural decomposition.

Micron industry example

Part of the solution will come from innovative biotech companies. Micron Waste Technologies, based in Vancouver, British Columbia, is currently testing a solution to the cannabis industry waste management issue. They entered a mutual agreement with a heavy weight Canadian company, Aurora Cannabis Inc. Their latest development is an on-site processing facility that would transform the organic waste into grey water. The direct result is a non-drinkable water, but is free from chemical organisms, and is clean enough to dump down the drain. The operational cost of waste disposal is easily covered by the investment of an on-site processing facility like this one. This facility is able to process all possible kinds of organic materials, from soil to plant residues. And the resulting water can easily be used for non-potable applications.

Conclusion

Cannabis Room is a leading information platform for marijuana enthusiasts. We feel our mission is to change negative stereotypes face. Sustainable management in the cannabis industry should be a core value shared along with the health benefits of cannabis. It starts by growing plants in environmentally responsible manners, not only smocking them. If you share our values, or you want to learn more about our philosophy, follow us and spread the word. Visit our website here:
https://cannabisroom.org/philanthropy/