Did you ever wonder what happens to all that marijuana police confiscate when they go on raids? In Denver, Colorado they recycle it.
A1 Organics – a recycling plant in Commerce City, Colorado, does a brisk business recycling wood pallets, logs, garden materials…and marijuana.
“There’s quite a bit that comes in,” said Kevan Northup, who runs operations for the company’s Commerce City location, “Two or three years ago we would do one grind every three or four months,” Northup explained. “Now [police] pretty much get a hold of us every couple weeks and need us to grind for them.”
The Denver Police Department loads confiscated, Illegal marijuana, on trucks under the control of the Denver police, and they then drive it to this organic recycling operation. Northup said business is on the upswing, with more and more pot that has been coming into the facility.
Once it arrives in Commerce City, they grind it up, and the marijuana is sent to a Keenesburg location for composting. Eventually, the marijuana becomes part of a fertilizer called eco-grow. According to Northup, police used to burn marijuana but have found recycling to be a better option.
Though this may seem like a waste, seized marijuana is not federally approved, and as such cannot be re-purposed for the legal market. Police also point out that there are too many unknowns on how the illegal marijuana was produced.
The Denver Police Department started partnering with A1 Organics about three years ago, and they’ve been in business for over 40 years. The company said it has recently received interest from police in Aurora, Commerce City, Thornton and Colorado Springs.
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Christina Molcillo
Christina is a blogger and freelance writer who contributes lifestyle and feature content to EmeraldReport.com.
