Passing on pot: when environmental organizations disengage from political consumerism in highly stigmatized sectors

Abstract

ABSTRACT Environmental movement organizations (EMOs) contribute to and benefit from political consumerism initiatives, such as voluntary sustainability certifications (VSCs). Surprisingly, EMOs have avoided America’s fastest growing agricultural sector: newly legalized cannabis (marijuana). Drawing on qualitative mixed methods – interviews with cannabis supply chain actors and legalization advocates, industry event participation, desk-based research, and dispensary visits – I analyze the nine voluntary sustainability certifications that have emerged to facilitate political consumerism in the US cannabis market to identify the conditions under which EMOs eschew political consumerism, and the consequences thereof. EMOs may avoid ethical consumerism initiatives in countercultural sectors because endorsing stigmatized products/lifestyles or challenging existing ethical frames may create reputational risk. Without the expertise, accountability, and resources EMOs typically provide, VSCs may stagnate or ignore best practices of standards-setting, auditing, and governance. Stigmatized sectors may be highly susceptible to industry capture, compromising the potential of political consumerism as a vehicle for environmental change.