Posted on 10/21/2012 8:55:10 AM PDT by Oldeconomybuyer
California's annual medical marijuana harvest is just about done, but this year brings a new revelation sweeping the nascent industry: The feel-good herb may not, in fact, be so good for the environment.
From golden Sierra foothills to forested coastal mountains, an explosion of pseudo-legal medical marijuana farms has dramatically changed the state's landscape over the past two years.
A rush to profit from patient demand for pot has resulted in irresponsible forest clearing, illegal stream diversions, and careless pesticide and fertilizer use that has polluted waterways and killed wildlife, state and local government officials said.
(Excerpt) Read more at sacbee.com ...
And? Where are the environmentalists? Just out back...puffing on a joint?
But, but . . . left-wing potheads would NEVER damage the environment!
When they puff, they are at one with Nature!
I imagine the medical marijuana growers are being driven into the woods by the Obama Admin crackdown on growers. Who is going to rent to a grower in that circumstance - which means the enviornmental problems are an unintended consequence of the crackdown.
http://www.sfgate.com/crime/article/Attorney-general-defends-medical-pot-crackdown-3619425.php
Nadler pointed out that as a presidential candidate in 2008, Barack Obama had promised that he wouldn’t use “Justice Department resources to try to circumvent state laws on this issue.”
But since 2009, federal agents and prosecutors have conducted about 200 raids on medical marijuana dispensaries and growers and brought more than 60 indictments, Nadler said.
Much of the federal crackdown has taken place in California, one of 17 states (plus the District of Columbia) that have medical marijuana laws on the books. Medical marijuana advocates in California have accused the Obama administration of duplicity in its evolving policy positions.
But Holder insisted the Justice Department has limited its enforcement actions “to those individuals (and) organizations that are acting out of conformity ... with state laws.”
Make it legal and have pot farmers grow with out fear. They should also grow the fiber and seed variety for oil and natural fibers.
The sad truth is that the majority of grows in the forest areas are in fact Mexican drug cartels. They are killing people and destroying areas just like they do in Mexico.
This is what loosening pot laws leads to
Quick! Someone blame the War on Drugs and all Republicans!
Thanks Oldeconomybuyer.
+1
The dopers have a criminal mentality and aren't likely to care about much else but we knew that already, didn't we?
I know, right?
Is there anything it can’t do!
:)
Exactly as most environmentalist really don’ care about the environment.
Interesting these environmentalist nuts are not all that concerned about their “rain forests” when they are harvesting POT from them!!!!!
Interesting these environmentalist nuts are not all that concerned about their “rain forests” when they are harvesting POT from them!!!!!
“The dopers have a criminal mentality and aren’t likely to care about much else but we knew that already, didn’t we?”
Please explain the 21st Amendment.
How dare you cloud the issue with truth!
My SIL buys grapes for a major winery in N Cal. She works closely with farmers in the northern coast counties in California.
She says they have to make sure that the grape are harvested before pot harvesting begins. Pot harvesting pays better for the migrantfarm workers.
The pot farmers squat on federal and state land and on private property. They have their own private “armies” and terrorize the local residents. They not only divert rivers, but also steal water from the legitimate farmers. Those farmers are still charged for the water usage.
When pot harvest is over, they leave all of the trash from the camps for state officials and private residents to clean up. It is a huge disaster. And it costs us a lot of money.
All in all it is a dangerous, expensive and destructive situation.
Making pot legal would change what part of that? It is a profitable model now. And how is pot not legal as things stand?
Please explain why having drunks isn’t enough.
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