http://blog.sfgate.com/smellthetruth/2015/06/24/ra... An estimated 100,000 marijuana plants are expected to be eradicated this week at an enormous, multi-farm bust in remote Northern California - the heart of the famed Emerald Triangle. Humboldt, Trinity and Mendocino County Sheriff's deputies - with no federal involvement - began serving search warrants Monday in a remote area at the intersection of the three counties. Dozens of deputies are staging a four or five-day operation in what is being called the largest raid in a decade. The Times-Standard reports: <blockquote> “The sources said the marijuana grows are not Mexican cartel operations but from local growers who have been growing for years. Beyond the sheer size of the grows, prompting the raid is evidence of massive water theft and other environmental violations, the sources said. For that reason the California Department of Fish and Wildlife was assisting deputies.†</blockquote>The raid targeted some very prominent members of the community, including public members of lobbying groups and marijuana PACs like the California Cannabis Voice. Emerald Grower's Association director Hezekiah Allen decried the actions in an online statement: “Today, this type of activity is ever more concerning because so many of our community members have courageously stepped forward and publicly proclaimed themselves as farmers. They are seeking regulation, seeking collaboration with government agencies and research institutions. These farmers who have stepped forward are keys to solutions.†California is the largest domestic producer of cannabis in the U.S., which consumes about 2,500-5,000 metric tons of the crop each year. About 5,000 cannabis farms exist in Mendocino County, deputies estimate. (via Google Maps) An estimated 40,000 pot farms may exist in California, a legislative analysis finds. Efforts to regulate the 19 year-old medical cannabis industry in California are pending in the Senate this year. A ballot proposal to tax and regulate legal cannabis in California is expected next year. [UPDATE 2 P.M. WEDNESDAY] KMUD news interviewed local authorities who reiterated their interest in protecting local watersheds. But reports also emerged today that raid personnel slashed irrigation hoses on farm property, discharged 50,000 gallons of stored rainwater, and are jeopardizing the nascent working relationship between growers and water authorities. No arrests have been reported. A press conference is expected Friday.
lmfao I knew something was up with all this water conservation bullshit i hear about in California. Some of the Reasons for conserving water orders 1- give the government a reason to fuck with you 2- increase the price of water 3- creat more regulations because of the water emergency= more funding and power for government It's like they are punishing the citizens of Cali for voting for weed. They say all the weed growers are using up all the water. Which is dumb because if there really is a water shortage up there, lying about the problem is only going to make it worse. Which will creat a bigger water emergency, requiring even more government intervention. The raid is for justifying the local sheriffs budgets. If they aren't arresting people then they can't justify their funding. The farmers should demand their local governments cut their law enforcement budgets.
so the farmers get with them and say, hey we are growing what can we do to help. they/them then go and pull the water lines feeding the farmers' farm. guess that is what they can do???
All of em should go to hell. Lying they're doing it for water, no they're doing it because it takes money from them. money is the root of ALL evil. one day we can get past this, a sigh of relief man
In the end, who's doing more harm to the environment? The truth is, marijuana will be legalized in the U.S.
The thugs in blue. We need the laws to change to prevent this shit from happening. It is horrible how many people's lives are ruined over prohibition. It's all just so that they can make someone a criminal when they aren't.
Funny how there was never an issue with prop 215 but ever since legalization there has been a big push for a change.
Maybe they shouldn't oppose legalization. As long as they do raids will always be a possibility. But I guess they just care about the money, not people's freedom to use cannabis.
These people were not against it. They are for it and that is why they were hit. They were big activist in the community but I guess you do have to read everything you read on the Internet. This was all political.
Sungrown in Shasta 36 mins · The fact that authorities in the recent Island Mountain drove 2.5 hours off the asphalt, passing many relatively large cannabis farms as they went, to reach--and then bust--parcels that happened to be connected to members of CCVH and EGA makes me go...hmmm... The feds went after Matthew Cohen when his Northstone Organics began to raise its profile as a model of Mendocino's "zip-tie" program. Notwithstanding North Coast criticism of CCVH by environmentalists, this article makes clear they are actively involved in bringing civil environmental regulation to cannabis farming. That prospect in itself--that civil regulation could supplant good ol' raids--may be threatening enough to law enforcement to lead them to target these groups. Trying to cultivate respect for water regulations among pot growersThe parking lot at the golf course began filling by evening — a procession of raised trucks coated in backcountry dust, an aging red Honda with a "Forever Stoked" bumper sticker. latimes.com Like