Residents in the Holland Hills neighborhood are angry about the pot odor they say comes from greenhouses at High Valley Farms off Highway 82 near Basalt. The smell has been a problem for residents since the operation opened months ago.
During a Pitkin County Commissioners work session last week, residents said the odor is overwhelming and detrimental to their quality of life, and request the facility be shut down.
At another meeting in June, the commissioners gave High Valley Farms owner Jordan Lewis 60 days to mitigate the odor coming from his four greenhouses. It’s caused by the organic compound terpene, released as marijuana plants bud. The greenhouses had been equipped with a mist vapor system Lewis admits was “inadequate,” and a dry vapor system, which he said worked, but replaced the terpene odor with an equally fragrant neutralizing agent.
Lewis says the goal has always been to install a biological-compound based system, set to be installed August 23rd, just weeks away from the farm’s license renewal date.
"We have designed a system that can handle ten times the amount of terpenes and we can apply that in the greenhouse before it even exits," Lewis said at the meeting.
Innovations such as the one Lewis proposes are key in an industry just entering its second year. If there is a way to eliminate the terpene odor – a growing list of businesses would benefit from that type of technology. Ron Kammerzell, the Senior Director of Colorado’s Marijuana Enforcement Division, points out similar resident complaints in Denver have resulted in more restrictive odor laws.
Lewis told the commissioners his company has invested financial and personnel resources to adapt the hydroxyl technology- typically used on cruise ships’ trash storage facilities – to the greenhouse environment. It could be an expensive risk, particularly with the looming license renewal deadline. Local authorities have jurisprudence over marijuana licensing, and the county commissioners could deny a license renewal for the business, which supplies product for Silverpeak Apothecary in Aspen.
But, it’s a risk that might have a significant payoff, says Pitkin County Commissioner Steve Child. Not just for businesses in Colorado and other legal-grow states, but also for medical marijuana and home-grow operations - at least 2 of which have been identified in the Holland Hills neighborhood.
“There’s over 3000 medical grow facilities in the state, that’s a lot of plants. We don’t have regulations that cover them. That’s why I’m thinking if (high valley Farms owners) Jordan and Mike can come up with a solution… we could solve this problem for everyone potentially” said Child.
