Pot vs Water Conservation and the Enviornment

[texas_ex2000]

http://www.wsj.com/articles/california-pot-growers-raid-waterways-1436307538
California Pot Growers Raid Waterways
Mostly illegal operations siphoning from streams to quench thirsty cash crops in drought-stricken state

Cannabis plants grown outdoors need as much as six gallons of water a day, or double that required by tomatoes, according to federal estimates. In the case of 7,376 pot plants seized by sheriff’s deputies from a farm last year in Shasta County on June 10, that equated to as much as 44,000 gallons a day, or what the Environmental Protection Agency estimates is enough to meet the average daily needs of 110 families.

State officials say the diversions likely aren’t enough to seriously affect supplies for California’s drought-afflicted farms and cities. The biggest impact, they say, is on the environment, by drying up ponds that frogs and other animals need to breed and dropping stream levels too low for fish to survive.

 

[Seattle Husker]

Are these legal farms or illegal operations? Legal operations should be handled like any other farmer.

 

[texas_ex2000]

Are these legal farms or illegal operations? Legal operations should be handled like any other farmer.

Seattle, it said these are mainly illegal farms, but the crop, whether illegal or legally produced for "medical use" requires twice as much water as tomatoes.

Here's the major problem below:

Just last month, Mr. Pelote said, sheriff’s deputies discovered an unattended, 10-horsepower generator along a creek that was pumping water to four pot farms. “You can stop them one day, and they’ll put in another the next day,” he said. “They don’t care. It’s all money, money, money.”

A LEO will "stop" them one day, but for some reason, they're still operating? Hmmm...an illegal pot farm growing thousands of pot plants - you would think the DEA would crash in with their armored humvees and and bust everyone? But according to this deputy, they'll "put in another the next day."

And to your point of legal growers vs illegal growers...criminals don't exactly care what the laws are.

 

[chango]

whether illegal or legally produced for "medical use"

2000, why the quotations around medical use? Is there any doubt that there is real medical benefits in many cases from marijuana?

 

[Seattle Husker]

I think these illegal pot growing operations have been rampant in the Sierra mountain range for years. As an aside, I've been told that a former fraternity brother operates a few. Though pot may be stereotypically enjoyed by the tree hugger crowd, these growers are motivated by $$$ not environmental issues. I do think that pot has significant penetration into the middle and upper class demographic. It's not simply due to it being legal in Washington and Colorado.

 

[Dionysus]

If we want to go after industries that waste water the pot growers are not the low hanging fruit.

 

[texas_ex2000]

2000, why the quotations around medical use? Is there any doubt that there is real medical benefits in many cases from marijuana?

Chango, I had no problem with "medical" marijuana before. As long as the FDA thought there was a legitimate use for any substance, there was nothing wrong with a doctor prescribing it. Cancer patients dealing with pain, AIDS patients, and glaucoma patients for example - seemed fine to me.

That was until I visited California since they changed their law. I'm sure by the letter of the law all these green cross medical marijuana kiosks (called munchie cafes) are compliant with the state laws, but in reality the doctors prescribing pot and the kiosks are jokes.

Doctor: What's wrong with you today so that I can sell you/prescribe some pot?
Patient: I feel tired. I hear the Snoop's Chronic Special will make me feel better.
Doctor: Ok.
Patient: I also feel sluggish. What about that over there? That will help right?
Doctor: Yes it will.
Patient: Will this box also help me with concentrating?
Doctor: Probably. Why don't you take this one too, just to be safe.
Patient: Thanks! You're the best doctor ever!

Medically, these places are farces.

http://www.latimes.com/opinion/opin...ifornia-medical-marijuana-20140515-story.html