Government land is our land, right? After all, you pay taxes and public parks are open to, well, the public. So, it won’t really hurt anyone to plant a little pot and turn a little profit, or will it…?
It’s easy to imagine that illegal marijuana growers are just contributing to the vegetation while protecting themselves from being identified. It’s even easier to imagine that this is something that would stop altogether if marijuana growth and sales weren’t illegal. The truth is a little more complicated, though.
The fact is, growing marijuana on public lands can have some serious repercussions for the wildlife and ecosystem. And intriguingly, illegal marijuana farming is at its peak (and most dangerous) in areas where cannabis is legal.
Who Is Growing Marijuana on Public Lands?
You might be picturing a happy pothead or an occasional midnight toker toiling the soil in national parks and public properties, growing just enough for a personal stash and to share with a few friends. The reality isn’t so innocuous, unfortunately. It’s time to get a better picture of who exactly is responsible for growing weed illegally on public lands.
The majority of public land pot growers are big business drug cartels; there’s big money to be had and large crops to worry about losing. This means the actual grow sites can be more dangerous and that most growers are doing whatever can be done to protect their crop, even using deadly pesticides such as carbofuran.
What Does Illegal Cultivation of Marijuana Mean for the Wildlife?
However you feel about the Great Pot Debate here in the U.S., illegally farming marijuana on public lands is an injustice to everyone. People, animals, plants, and entire ecosystems are harmed by illegal growers.
You may use pesticides in your own yard, but trust me when I say they aren’t the same pesticides as those used in mass-scale farms. The latter are designed to kill whatever they come in contact with to prevent the loss of crops. Your small herbivorous mammals are poisoned when they eat the plants and, in turn, carnivores are poisoned when they eat contaminated prey.
Northern California is at the center of illegal pot growth on public lands. It’s also home to protected wildlife. The entire ecosystem is impacted by the introduction of these chemicals. Birds, small and large mammals, and insects are carefully balanced in nature. Pesticides employed by sneaky growers can cause a whole collapse of the ecosystem and incredible animal losses.
There’s additional fallout, as well. It’s not just about the exposed animals. These pesticides remain in the soil and become incorporated into the environment, allowing the pesticide to become pervasive and to continue affecting wildlife long after the initial application.
Water is frequently diverted toward the growing marijuana, so growers are introducing dangerous pesticides to the wildlife, the soil, and the water table. That’s not all, though. Because grow sites are usually situated close to water sources, between runoff and direct transfer, the poison contaminates natural waterways. This contamination spreads the damage.
Is Growing Marijuana Illegally on Public Land a New Practice?
While illegal crops on public land are increasingly in the news and in the public eye of late, the truth is that it’s been happening for some time. Recently, though, illegal growers are making increasingly damaging choices when it comes to neighboring ecosystems.
Perhaps the amount of success that has previously been achieved growing on public lands is to blame, or maybe the uptick in behavior and boldness has to do with the changing public opinion of marijuana. Whatever the cause may be, those who are growing illegally here in the United States are bolder than they ever have been in the past.
How Do I Play My Part in Stopping Illegal Marijuana Farms?
Nine out of ten illegal marijuana grow sites indicate that carbofuran (the deadly pesticide) was used during their growing process. Like to dabble in a little pot now and again yourself? If the fate of wildlife and ecosystems isn’t enough to make you contemplate your supplier, consider this. Less than a teaspoon of carbofuran can kill an animal that weighs several hundred pounds. How much of that do you really want to expose yourself to?
If you’re looking for a way to help deter these sites from happening, be a discerning consumer. Buy your marijuana from licensed providers and the demand for illegally grown product lessens. Like many things, voting with your wallet is a valid way to signal your preferences.
Don’t use marijuana and still want to be involved? Though the U.S. Forest Service does have a budget to work with, it’s a fraction of what illegal growers are making off their product. There’s a tremendous amount of land involved and not enough conservationists to guard it. Consider donating your time or money to conservation organizations working toward eradicating such grow sites.
Or at the very least, make sure your illicit supply is coming from one of those happy-go-lucky potheads with four plants to her name and not a booming cartel-managed grow site. The environment will thank you for it.