Pot invasion stuns park officials. 600% jump in Sequoia plants may be tied to tight borders.

The Fresno Bee ^ | Sept 25, 2002 | Joan Obra

[Pern]

A new species is appearing more frequently in Sequoia National Park: marijuana. During the past month, park rangers and law enforcement officials have uprooted 19 marijuana gardens from the Mineral King and South Fork areas of the park. Officials disposed of more than 35,000 plants -- with an estimated street value of more than $140 million -- in an undisclosed Tulare County site.

[Pern]

What can I say? Leagalize it and we won't have this problem.

[Kenton]

I think I read somewhere that pot is the biggest cash crop grown and exported by California...

[Huck]

Ever seen "Homegrown" with Billy Bob Thornton? It's a fairly entertaining little flick that deals with this sort of thing. Humbolt county and all that.

[GirlShortstop]

Not only would we not have a problem...

35,000 plants -- with an estimated street value of more than $140 million

We could use the cash to finance tighter borders... buy American, get high American. teeheehee

[bat-boy]

Be a patriot! Support you local marijuana grower!!! Better yet, grow your own and save a bundle.

[vin-one]

not only is it the largest cash crop in CA. but I also heard WV, and several other states as well.
Legalize it, and save billions in tax dollars,
as well as the revenue it would collect from taxes.

[vin-one]

bump to the list.

[bat-boy]

As it is with Kentucky, Tennessee, and about a dozen other states.

Did you ever see that news special on ABC a few years ago where ABC visited a town in rural Georgia and found that even senior citizen farmers were growing it because it was the only way they could keep their farms? I'm talking about 70 - 80 year old church going men.

When the town's police chief (or maybe it was the county sherrif) attempted to crack down, the town forced him out of office and elected a guy that promised to focus on real crime. According to the report, growing and selling pot was the only thing keeping this town afloat, and if the sherrif cracked down as he promised, it would have put local businesses out of business. They interviewed the old sherrif and he had turned into a mobile home salesman. behahahahahahaha. Ya gotta love it. When the fired sherrif whined to the feds and they came down to investigate, they received absolutely no assistance from the local LEO's, and in fact the local LEO's actually thwarted the fed's. I was pleasantly shocked to see that there are LEO's that remember that they work for the citizens and not the feds.

I sure would like to know what happened with those folks. I bet after ABC aired the program, the feds went down their in force and put a stop to a lot of it. Can't have the peasants thumbing their noses at the almighty G*D of government.

I would bet this happens in more rural towns than the one shown on ABC. Politics goes out the door when businessmen need business.

[Guillermo]

What makes you think these illegal invaders would stop growing it if it became legal?

[Auntie Mame]

You know, with the asset forfeiture laws, don't you think the feds should have their property taken from them for their obvious inability to manage their property?

[Illbay]

But it is NOT addictive. No. No way. Can't be.

[MrLeRoy]

What makes you think these illegal invaders would stop growing it if it became legal?

Simple---it would become a less expensive commodity and so no longer worth the risk and hassle of growing on government land.

[Illbay]

Legalize it, and Californians will be too stoned to care about trifles like "secure borders."

Come to think of it, that's probably the main problem now.

[MrLeRoy]

It's less addictive than caffeine. link

[vin-one]

well basic economics should answer that question.
You see when it becomes legal they won't be able to charge
excessive amounts of money for the product, because commerical growers can do it cheaper,
Why would anyone buy it from the black market when you could get it at the local ABC store.
Kind of like why buy moonshine, when you can buy better quality booze at the store.

[dennisw]

Well that's bullshit because loosertarian's real agenda is to legalize all narcotics. My program is to execute those who deal hard drugs and to exile pot dealers.

[MrLeRoy]

What makes you think that many people want to get that stoned that often? Do YOU want to get that stoned that often?

[posterkid]

I think I read somewhere that pot is the biggest cash crop grown and exported by California...

In my old home of Tulare County, that is exactly right. Odd place, it is. Tulare County had the highest teen pregnancy rate in the nation, one of the largest amounts of pot grown in the nation, and my town, Dinuba, had(?) more churches per capita than any other town in the country.

[johnb838]

What makes you think these illegal invaders

How dare you call these poor people illegal invaders. They are simply undocumented workers trying to eke out a living in a cruel heartless country that wants to kill them. You should be ashamed. All of you. They should be putting out water stations, not ripping up the cro-op. {/whine}{/sarcasm}

[Illbay]

I'm not the one who obsesses about making sure that it is legal.