Growing pot indoors not enviro-friendly

SEATTLE -- For those cannabis cultivists growing marijuana indoors, the process is not as "green" as you might think.  The carbon footprint of producing about two pounds of pot is equal to driving across the USA seven times, the Seattle Times reported.

The reason: indoor pot growing often uses high-intensity grow lights, air conditioning, dehumidifiers, fans and CO2 generators to boost plant growth, the paper reported.

Producing one marijuana cigarette, aka "joint," is equivalent to leaving a light bulb on for about a day, the paper reported.  In Eastern Washington state, there are few people lobbying for outdoor grown pot, primarily due to security concerns about the outdoor cultivation.

"It's great we have relatively low-carbon electricity, but that's not a license to waste it, " K.C. Golden, policy director of Climate Solutions told the Seattle Times.  Climate Solutions is a Northwest nonprofit working against global warming.