If you’re like many members of the LEGION family, you may have first stumbled across our brand when you fell in love with our tasty, terpene-rich Monarch cartridges. But have you ever paused to consider the significance of its inspiration, the beautiful and unique Monarch butterfly, and the reason why we chose to name our legendary LEGION vape cart after this important plant pollinator?  

Well, at The Legion of Bloom, we’re farmers first and cannabis cultivators second. As established horticulturists, we’ve always held a deep reverence for the land and understood the relationship between healthy habitats and healthy crops.

To fuel and support the food chain, we need to find ways to protect pollinators, many of which are now unfortunately at risk of becoming endangered species. Our delicate ecosystems are threatened by everything from droughts to wildfires to pollution to pesticides; to mitigate this harm to the planet, the agricultural industry, ordinary Californians, and responsible cannabis companies like LEGION are adopting practices that protect pollinators’ habitats.

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Why Are Pollinators Like the Monarch Butterfly so Important?

According to the US Forest Service, “pollination is not just fascinating natural history. It is an essential ecological survival function. Without pollinators, the human race and all of earth’s terrestrial ecosystems would not survive. Of the 1,400 crop plants grown around the world, i.e. those that produce all of our food and plant-based industrial products, almost 80% require pollination by animals.” 

It follows that a healthy ecosystem and food chain cannot exist without help from pollinators such as the beautiful Monarch butterfly, which is why LEGION takes pride in doing our part to protect them. These tiny but important insects have always facilitated the growth and reproduction of crops and other plants, but as time marches on, humanity and its demands are taking a collective toll on the environment, with pollinators becoming threatened more each day—and mostly because of sustained damage to their wild habitats. 

As the conservation organization MonarchWatch explains,“given the great numbers of Monarchs (up to 100 million) that gather to migrate each fall, it is hard to imagine them facing any threat of extinction. In reality, however, Monarchs and their amazing annual migration are seriously threatened by human activities, in both their summer and overwintering sites. Many of these threatening activities hinge on the destruction of good Monarch habitats.”

Join the LEGION in Protecting Pollinator Habitats

The Legion of Bloom founders have long known the role that pollinators like the Monarch play in the natural world, and we’re painstakingly aware of just how precarious their existence is today. We value pollinators because we value the planet and understand the interconnectedness of it all. To help defend these creatures and restore their habitats, LEGION has partnered with the California Association of Conservation Resource Districts (CARCD) to ensure that California remains a hospitable host to the Monarch butterfly and every element of its ecosystem. 

By aligning ourselves with nonprofits such as the CARCD, we’re able to put proceeds from our Monarch vape line sales to good use, donating money to support their mission to build pollinator habitats across California. LEGION takes pride in being able to reinvest in our community, and by backing the CARCD’s environmental initiatives, we’re doing our part to create and protect sustainable eco-systems for pollinators. That means that when you buy Legion of Bloom Monarch vape carts, you’re taking the high road and supporting fragile habitats, too—and when pollinators are protected, everyone wins.

The Legion of Bloom is always looking for ways to save the Monarch because pollinators like butterflies are necessities when it comes to building strong ecosystems that not only nurture cannabis plants, but that support crops of all types and therefore fuel the food production chain at large. While Californians often focus on the Monarch butterfly, environmentalists across the United States are taking active steps to protect pollinators from extinction and support their natural habitats. Why is that?

Because, again, without pollination, plant life as we know it will cease to exist. Yes, wildflowers are beautiful, and everyone loves a well-manicured lawn. Unfortunately, our beloved Monarch butterfly population is facing a steep decline, which spells trouble not only for the species, but for the food chain at large. 

According to the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, “In the 1990s, hundreds of millions of monarchs made the epic flight each fall from the northern plains of the U.S. and Canada to sites in the oyamel fir forests in central Mexico, and more than a million monarchs overwintered in forested groves on the California coast. Now, researchers and community scientists estimate that only a fraction of the population remains—a decline of approximately 80% has been seen in central Mexico and a decline of 99% has been seen in coastal California.”

Want to Help Save the Monarch? The Time to Act is Now!

Like many Americans, the LEGION crew is devastated by alarming statistics such as these. Everyone knows that, along with wind, butterflies, bees, and other insects and animals play an instrumental role in distributing pollen from one plant or field to another, thereby facilitating reproduction and spurring growth among plants and flowers. Cross-pollination can create an abundance of color and fragrance amid varieties of species of plants.

The Legion of Bloom’s mission to save the Monarch butterfly extends well beyond our interests in growing sustainable cannabis, and a chief reason we donate proceeds from LEGION’s Monarch vape carts to the CARCD is to help keep the species alive and to get food on the table for families across California. 

But pollinators are important for another reason: Without them, all birds and animals run the risk of suffering from hunger, too, losing access to invaluable sources of sustenance and nutrition. According to the Xerces Society, “Fruits and seeds derived from insect pollination are a major part of the diet of approximately 25% of all birds, and of mammals ranging from red-backed voles to grizzly bears. Unfortunately, in many places, the essential service of pollination is at risk from habitat loss, pesticide use, and introduced diseases.”

What You Can Do to Protect Pollinators Across California

The LEGION fam can’t sit by idly and watch this kind of habitat destruction continue unabated, and we know you can’t, either. That’s why we’re inviting cannabis enthusiasts and Californian environmentalists to join us in our efforts to save the Monarch—and support all plant and animal life in the process. 

If you want to help create healthy ecosystems for pollinators, you can do your part simply by planting butterfly gardens in your community, donating to nonprofit organizations like CARCD, and connecting with your local Resource Conservation District (RCD), an organization that is devoted to building habitats for the Monarch butterfly and other pollinators (find your Local RCD here).

Take the High Road with The Legion of Bloom

We know that as an environmentalist, you already favor organic food and care about keeping pesticides out of the food chain. But we challenge you to also remember that every cannabis company you support has the potential to impact ecosystems as well. From researching water usage to pesticides to corporate responsibility, buying cannabis from a brand that aligns with your personal values should be a top priority. 

So when it comes to buying cannabis products in California, make sure you do your homework and only support sustainable cannabis companies that adhere to the highest standards for environmental stewardship. Whether you choose to use cannabis recreationally or need medical marijuana for health reasons, you alone have the choice to be a responsible consumer and can vote with your dollar. We encourage you to join the LEGION and buy sustainable cannabis near you whenever you can. Protecting the environment and saving the environment is easier with Legion of Bloom.

About The Legion of Bloom

The Legion of Bloom is an award-winning, eco-conscious California cannabis company that has always prioritized sustainability over profit and looked for ways to support and fund local environmental organizations like CARCD. Indeed, the five LEGION founders are more than established cultivators; they are also long-time environmentalists who constantly invite fellow Californians to be better by buying better. The Legion of Bloom delivers products that come in plastic-free packages, thereby eliminating single-use plastics from the cannabis supply chain and minimizing waste at large. They adhere to best practices for sustainability, understand how to protect pollinators and ecosystems, and help fund agricultural efforts to save the Monarch butterfly.

Winners of multiple Emerald Cup awards, LEGION has long been known for their signature Monarch cartridges and California Sauce cartridges, and is proud to offer consumers a variety of sustainable cannabis products, including their new 5-Star flower line, terpene-driven THC vape cartridges and CBD oil. Looking for Legion of Bloom cannabis-based products near you? Click here to find LEGION products that you can feel good about buying and consuming.