Posted on 08/07/2017 3:44:37 AM PDT by afraidfortherepublic
Pollution from illegal marijuana farms deep in California's national forests is far worse than previously thought, and has turned thousands of acres into waste dumps so toxic that simply touching plants has landed law enforcement officers in the hospital.
The volume of banned or restricted pesticides and illegally applied fertilizers in the woods dwarfs estimates by the U.S. Forest Service in 2014, when a top enforcement official testified that the pollution was threatening forest land in California and other states. California accounts for more than 90 percent of illegal U.S. marijuana farming, with much of it exported to other states from thousands of sites hidden deep inside forested federal land, and more on private property, law enforcement officials said. The state is still developing a licensing system for growers even though legal retail sales of the drug will begin next year, and medical use has been allowed for decades.
Ecologist Mourad Gabriel, who documents the issue for the Forest Service as well as other state, local and federal law enforcement agencies, estimates California's forests hold 41 times more solid fertilizers and 80 times more liquid pesticides than Forest Service investigators found in 2013.
Growers use fertilizers and pesticides long restricted or banned in the United States, including carbofuran and zinc phosphide. In previous years, it was commonly sold fertilizers and pesticides that were used illegally, law enforcement officials said.
Exposure to the pesticides has sent at least five law enforcement officials and two suspects to hospitals with skin rashes, respiratory problems and other symptoms, court documents and state data show.
Use of any chemicals in national forests is against federal law, as pesticides have killed sensitive species and fertilizers can cause algae blooms and bacteria problems in rivers and streams.
(Excerpt) Read more at ca.news.yahoo.com ...
Nope
Between Memphis and Knoxville at 14:44 EST
going to make the long ride home be there about 00:30 or so
My son could tell you: When he passed away, he had a brain tumor; lung cancer; pancreatic cancer, because of so many years of drug use. He was incarcerated in TX at the time they found the lung cancer, and after he was hospitalized at Houston’s famous cancer hospital, they determined it would be impossible to treat; if you treat one type of cancer, the others will just keep growing and will most likely kill you anyway; therefore, they usually do not treat multiple cancers.
Instead of treatment, they sent him to a half-way house where is resided until his death.
Addictive behavior runs in my family, mostly alcohol. It’s an on going generational struggle. Lost a brother and almost lost a daughter.
Saddened to hear of your loss.
Well, I have the consolation that after he had passed, and I was sitting around feeling sorry for myself, and boo-hooing all over the place, I said out loud to GOD; why did he reject me ..?? And, as always, when I ask GOD an important question, GOD was quick to reply: “Well, he didn’t reject ME !!”.
In other words; what are you crying about?
Make that 04:30
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