5 Acre Marijuana Farm Found and Destroyed in Redwood National Park
On Wednesday a 5 acre marijuana farm located in Redwood National Park was raided by over 60 park rangers and other cooperating law enforcement officials. The farm was located less than six miles away from the world’s tallest tree. It is the first major marijuana growing operation to have been found in the well-known park.
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The marijuana farm was located near an area known as Redwood Creek and contained an estimated 9,564 plants. They were immediately chopped down and removed by helicopter. A drug operation such as this one can be very hazardous to the environment as chemicals and fertilizers can significantly pollute park habitats. In a press release the National Park Service explained that “a graphic information system specialist went in with the raid teams for the first time in NPS history to perform an immediate evaluation of the impacts to natural resources during the raid. This documentation will be very beneficial for the restoration process.”
The plants growing on the illegal drug farm were estimated to be worth about $35 million dollars. The operation was first seen by an airplane flying above several weeks ago, and consequently the park’s staff was notified promptly. It is unclear for how long the farm had been operating.
Several Mexican citizens, 4 men and a woman, have been detained by law enforcement officials for questioning and are possibly connected to the operation. On the same day as the raid in the park, law enforcement officials also carried out several additional raids on growing operations nearby. Illegal drug operations are becoming increasingly more common in the U.S. inside and near national parks and forests. Raids are becoming a necessity.
An article published several days ago in USA Today quoted the director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy as saying that 75%-80% of marijuana grown outdoors is on state or federal land. Mexican drug cartels are thought to be increasingly responsible for these illegal operations in national parks and on other protected lands. Smuggling drugs across the U.S.-Mexico border has become more challenging for them.
Other national parks where large marijuana farms have also recently been found and shut-down include North Cascades National Park in Washington and Sequoia National Park in California.
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Photo Credit: Michael Schweppe on Flickr under a Creative Commons license
It’s a shame marijuana is illegal, especially considering the health benefits. Alcohol is so much more dangerous, and there are other drugs that ARE dangerous that need the government’s attention. LEGALIZE!
I do not like the fact that they were using my public national park for this. Definitely a no-no. And yes - if it were legal this wouldn’t be a problem.
The USA needs to look at Europe’s take on cannabis. Much more effective.
If anyone has any sense then they would realize that any form of administiring marijuana into the body is dangerous. There are more side effects from marijuana than alcohol and and cigarettes combined. This is not soley my opinion but it is facts and my opinion is based on facts. Sure theres no overdose but all i need to know is that the side effects and the health realted issues and caner issuse related to this drug that all you people seem to forget bout are enough for me to never have this drug by far having it legalized. No problem would be solved by leagalizing it, all it would do is make you pot heads less suseptible for being arrested and be able to obtain it cheaper and easier than it already is. Dont give me the its all natural crap either casue if you do then go smoke some weeds or dirt or leaves for chirsts sake ok so natural doesnt mean it should be legalized either so just shut up. Look at the real hard facts and how many people visit the ER each year due to marijuana and look at the hard numbers on how many people are in intervention and groups and rehab due to marijuana, there are more people in rehab for marijuana than all other drugs combined and its a shockingly high number. If you cant really handel pressure or life then you shouldnt be living or go play a video game, get a job, take a walk, exercise, dont take the cheap hazardous way out by doing drugs, get a grip on life and wake up to reality and start becoming responsible for your own life and problems.
AKA, R U drunk or something - please take a toke.
AKA,
I think your argument is beside the point. Just because something is unhealthy, doesn’t give the government a reason (or the authority) to regulate it. Why would you want the government to run your life? McDonald’s is unhealthy, and there are many people who are obese. Should the government put them on a diet? How can the government have authority over someone’s body? If you want to do something to yourself, nobody, including our government should be able to stop you. After all, you own yourself.
Where did freedom go?
AKA, you are misinformed. More side effects than alcohol and ciggs?….I would consider alcohol poisoning that can essentialy cause your brain to forget to pump your heart a failry serious side effect…and that whole lung cancer thing that cigs cause is pretty serious too. No one ever went to the hospital for smoking too much weed, much less was harmed by the so-called side effects (that you never mention).
Overcrowded prisons would be solved. State and local government underfunding for education could be solved. Lack of police offcers patrolling for serious crimes and not petty drug offenses could be solved. It is used to treat cancer, it does not cause cancer. The side effects cause no harm and some are beneficial. Food you eat has side effects…that bag of Doritoes is more harmful and does more damage. Prescription drugs and OTC medication has far worse and far more side effects…have you ever read them? No one visits the ER for marijuana use unless they were tased during their arrest. The numbers in rehab? Those are court ordered and often charged to the taxpayers. Your argument is silly…stop tring to tell people what they can and can’t do to themselves.
If you honestly think that people go to emergency room EVER because of marijuana, then, well you just need to stop making stuff up.
AKA,
I’m sorry to have to be the one to break this to you, but you are retarded. yes, I said it. You are absolutely retarded.
People in rehab for Marijuana are usually criminal offenders taking a plea. A short in patient stay instead of an extended clip in prison.
People in the “Er” because of pot are generally sent there because of anxiety caused by the fact that it is illegal. The medical community has a term for them…. G.O.M.E.R (look it up in your funk and wagnall)
Go do some research on Harold Anslinger and William Randolph Hearst. While you’re at it, check any and all medical studies that you use as “proof” and see what the protocols used were. Oh, also while you are checking the protocols look up “the scientific method”.
Last but certainly not least think for yourself, and dont’t parrot what your pastor says you ignorant piece of shit.
AKA
The reason there are more people in rehab is because marijuana is the most widely used illicit substance in the world. It is a CRIME to be caught with marijuana and one of the penalties for being caught is rehab. Marijuana carries less risk of dependancy and less health risk than alcohol. Have you ever heard of someone getting THC poisoning? No? Well thats because you would have to smoke more than 1500Kg of weed in 15 minutes to reach dangerous levels. There is no reason whatsoever for it to remain illegal. For one thing think of all the criminal enterprises it currently funds and think of how much your government (i am assuming you are amreican) spends each year on enforcement of marijuana laws. Imagine if you didn’t have to spend any of your tax dollars on fighting it AND the government could tax the sale of marijuana!
As for it being a way out of life problems. As someone who has had experience with both alcohol and marijuana, as i am sure many have had, alcohol is a much better way of forgetting your problems than weed.
The most dangerous thing about smoking marijuana is getting caught.
Legalize Please.
What a waste of my tax money! Secure the Border, that is what we pay you for.