I've heard about this recently too. Another reason for the Feds to get out of the way and let the California Dept. of Agriculture oversee this newish crop. We need the industry to be regulated and overseen like any other farming operation. The danger posed to recreational users of the forests (campers, fisherman & hikers by these pot bandits is unacceptable. It's happening locally in Cleveland National Forest, too. I've read stories of people being run off at gunpoint from National Forests. As an occasional user I realize that there is a small amount of blame that I shoulder but I'm fairly vocal about the need to eliminate these illegal farms from our National Forests. On private land farmers have to follow plenty of regulations and should. That is the first that I've heard that they were diverting that much water as to affect the water levels and fish. That is messed up. Regulate it and tax it like any other industry. Moonshine has similar problems. I'm sure there are some who would disagree that pot farming needs some fairly stringent oversight but they are wrong and IMO just as screwy as the gun nut doomsday preppers, albeit to a lesser extent. The wild west doesn't have any place in modern society. Let the Dept. of Agriculture do it's job and leave the DEA the job of dealing with the coke and opium trade. I'm against legalization of the two previously mentioned hard drugs. Not so with cannabis-call me simpleminded but the cannabis business has many of the attributes and problems of the liquor business. High profitability is a factor at present that will entice the lawless element to the trade. I guess we need pot revenooers?
Sorry for the rambling reply. I'm not stoned, yet!
