On Wednesday, July 20, 2022, Mildura, Australia, resident Tammy Szumowski noticed a pink glow in the night sky and thought the end of the world was near. Many others also noticed the glow, including Anne Webster, a member of parliament.
“I was driving home and it was dark, and I noticed a very unusual, quite large pink glow,” she said. “I thought that is very strange. My first thought was there has to be a logical reason for this.”
The glow was created by a medical marijuana facility on the edge of the town. While testing out LED lights, it revealed its location due to the glow created by the reflection of the lights off the clouds. The company regularly uses curtains to prevent the lights, which promote the growth of cannabis plants, from showing. However, the curtains were left open, allowing the light to create a phenomenon.
Australia legalized medical marijuana in 2016, though recreational use remains banned. Over 250,000 citizens have marijuana licenses, most of which are for chronic pain or psychological disorders. In 2018, over 70,000 people were incarcerated for illegal possession of cannabis, which is why marijuana growing locations are kept confidential.
Cann Group, the company behind the facility, was the first company approved by Australia to begin research on marijuana and received $1.4 million to start a growing site that was secret until the “supernatural” event occurred. Its CEO, Peter Crock, said a security guard noticed that the glow was drawing civilian attention, as cars approached to investigate the light.
Szumwski said her family “had a good laugh” after discovering the truth about the spectacle. “I reckon it was great,” she said. “They should do it more often.”
Sources:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/07/23/australia-mildura-medical-marijuana-pink-sky/
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-62261094
“I was driving home and it was dark, and I noticed a very unusual, quite large pink glow,” she said. “I thought that is very strange. My first thought was there has to be a logical reason for this.”
The glow was created by a medical marijuana facility on the edge of the town. While testing out LED lights, it revealed its location due to the glow created by the reflection of the lights off the clouds. The company regularly uses curtains to prevent the lights, which promote the growth of cannabis plants, from showing. However, the curtains were left open, allowing the light to create a phenomenon.
Australia legalized medical marijuana in 2016, though recreational use remains banned. Over 250,000 citizens have marijuana licenses, most of which are for chronic pain or psychological disorders. In 2018, over 70,000 people were incarcerated for illegal possession of cannabis, which is why marijuana growing locations are kept confidential.
Cann Group, the company behind the facility, was the first company approved by Australia to begin research on marijuana and received $1.4 million to start a growing site that was secret until the “supernatural” event occurred. Its CEO, Peter Crock, said a security guard noticed that the glow was drawing civilian attention, as cars approached to investigate the light.
Szumwski said her family “had a good laugh” after discovering the truth about the spectacle. “I reckon it was great,” she said. “They should do it more often.”
Sources:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/07/23/australia-mildura-medical-marijuana-pink-sky/
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-62261094
