Law Commons^™

Powering Mary Jane: Marijuana And Electric Public Utilities, Ryan Dadgari

Golden Gate University Environmental Law Journal

The discourse surrounding legalizing marijuana use and cultivation is full of political, legal, and economic voices. While some discussions address the high electricity consumption of marijuana grow operations and their effects on the energy grid, few—if any—discuss whether or not public utilities could be held federally liable for supplying power to marijuana grows and incentivizing growers to use more energy efficient methods. Just as banks, doctors and lawyers could be at risk for providing their services to this emerging industry, so too could public utilities. In some cases, utilities that refuse to provide service to state-legal marijuana grow operations experience …