The reality of legal weed in California: Huge illegal grows, violence, worker exploitation and deaths

San Francisco Chronicle ^ | Oct. 3, 2022 | Paige St. John

[artichokegrower]

At sunset from atop Haystack Butte, the desert floor below shimmers with a thousand lights

Illegal cannabis farms.

At this hour and distance, serene hues cloak the rugged enclave of Mount Shasta Vista, a tense collective of seasonal camps guarded by guns and dogs where the daily runs of water trucks are interrupted by police raids, armed robberies and, sometimes, death. So many hoop houses pack this valley near the Oregon border that last year it had the capacity to supply half of California’s entire legal cannabis market

[The Sentient Sheep]

Well drastically cut the price of legal weed and undermine the cartel.
Duh ! The cartel will go out of business in 1 Year....

[Blood of Tyrants]

Ask any cop if they see anything good about legalized recreational marijuana. I have never thought that legalizing recreational drug use was a good idea.

[lapsus calami]

 

 

One thing people don't seem to compute is, organized crime does not walk away from a revenue stream - they'll appropriate it one way or another. All this monkey motion by the government does not diminish them, just makes them change tactics.

 

 

[Lean-Right]

“greenshine?”

Sunshine...(sunshine state).

[5th MEB]

I live smack/dab , dead center of the “emerald triangle” here in California.

Was offered some pretty good bucks to lease about 10 of my acres for a DOPE FARM.

They wanted the lease mainly because I have my own well and good water production.

Told them in no uncertain terms to F—K OFF and don’t show up on my property again because I would shoot them dead.
I have a backhoe and lots of places to hide the bodies.

I grow pears, peaches, apples, plums, cherries, prunes, Kiwi fruits, grapes, and every garden vegetable you need for a fully stocked kitchen.

Got no use for dope, don’t need the money, so stay the hell off my farm and you won’t find yourself bleeding out!

And I won’t have to waste the diesel fuel to get rid of your corps!

[Vaduz]

Bingo just look at what a s**t hole the state is in now.

Skid row west

[Eagles6]

But..but...if you just legalize it...Oh, wait.../sarc

[hanamizu]

Missouri, a conservative state will vote on legalizing ‘recreational’ marijuana, a couple of years after legalizing ‘medical’ marijuana. This will be done via a ballot initiative. I expect it will pass and we’ll soon have similar problems to California.

Water isn’t rare here, there are lots of isolated places in the woods, and there is a rich tradition of moonshiners and meth producers out in the boondocks.