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Banned Pesticides Showing Up in California Water

Erod

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https://www.usnews.com/news/us/arti...-illegal-pot-farms-seep-into-california-water

SACRAMENTO, California (Reuters) - Toxic chemicals from illegal marijuana farms hidden deep in California's forests are showing up in rivers and streams that feed the state's water supply, prompting fears that humans and animals may be at risk, data reviewed by Reuters show.

The presence of potentially deadly pollutants in eight Northern and Central California watersheds is the latest sign of damage to the environment from thousands of illegal cannabis plantations, many of them run by drug cartels serving customers in other states, according to law enforcement.

"I don't drink out of the creeks - and I used to," said Sergeant Nathaniel Trujillo, a narcotics expert with the sheriff's department of Trinity County, about 200 miles north of San Francisco. "I grew up drinking out of them."

Careful what you invite into your neighborhood.
 

Presuming that marijuana grows are the only source of these contaminants (which seems unlikely) this is a direct result of the War on Drugs.

If marijuana growers were able to cultivate openly, then we'd have an easier time enforcing these sorts of regulations.

The decriminalization path California has selected isn't going to help with this in the short-term either, as while it is legal to grow in CA today, the restrictions leave little room for large commercial grows, so they will remain underground.

At least once they've sorted out commercial sales, those illegal grows will be competing openly with legitimate ones. High end marijuana, which has become increasingly common, isn't grown with dangerous pesticides.
 
Presuming that marijuana grows are the only source of these contaminants (which seems unlikely) this is a direct result of the War on Drugs.

If marijuana growers were able to cultivate openly, then we'd have an easier time enforcing these sorts of regulations.

The decriminalization path California has selected isn't going to help with this in the short-term either, as while it is legal to grow in CA today, the restrictions leave little room for large commercial grows, so they will remain underground.

At least once they've sorted out commercial sales, those illegal grows will be competing openly with legitimate ones. High end marijuana, which has become increasingly common, isn't grown with dangerous pesticides.

Absolutely.

When the penalties for bringing in illegal pesticides are the same as for bringing in marijuana, you're not going to see this happen.

Although our present administration is probably more likely to allow things like carbofuran to be legal than anything.

Also, that idiot narcotics officer is apparently unaware that the risk of drinking creek water is really in the parasitic diseases (like giardia) rather than low level pesticide residues.
 
What a shocker. Another business poisons people's water.
 

No kidding! In addition to those banned pesticides (illegal growers don't care what's banned, go figure) there are piles of trash, diverted streams, and illegal aliens who have been told that they would be shot if they were discovered, then given weapons to defend the "plantation." What could possibly go wrong there?

It's high (no pun intended) time to end the illegal growing of pot and grow it openly on private land in accordance with the same laws that tomato growers comply with. There's no shortage of tomatoes, and nobody sneaking into tomato farms at night to steal the crop, nor are people trying to grow tomatoes in the national forests and national parks.
 
Presuming that marijuana grows are the only source of these contaminants (which seems unlikely) this is a direct result of the War on Drugs.

If marijuana growers were able to cultivate openly, then we'd have an easier time enforcing these sorts of regulations.

The decriminalization path California has selected isn't going to help with this in the short-term either, as while it is legal to grow in CA today, the restrictions leave little room for large commercial grows, so they will remain underground.

At least once they've sorted out commercial sales, those illegal grows will be competing openly with legitimate ones. High end marijuana, which has become increasingly common, isn't grown with dangerous pesticides.

IMHO, it is more about tax evasion and using rent free but less fertile land. Not having those "unnecessary" expenses boosts profits.
 
No kidding! In addition to those banned pesticides (illegal growers don't care what's banned, go figure) there are piles of trash, diverted streams, and illegal aliens who have been told that they would be shot if they were discovered, then given weapons to defend the "plantation." What could possibly go wrong there?

It's high (no pun intended) time to end the illegal growing of pot and grow it openly on private land in accordance with the same laws that tomato growers comply with. There's no shortage of tomatoes, and nobody sneaking into tomato farms at night to steal the crop, nor are people trying to grow tomatoes in the national forests and national parks.

There is also quite a difference in the price of and tax on (thus profit on) legal tomatoes compared to legal weed. ;)

Marijuana legalization activists, including former Los Angeles Police Deputy Chief Stephen Downing, opposed the approved tax as excessive, saying it puts an “enormous immoral burden” on medical marijuana patients and enables “a competitive black market.”

LA Times
 
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There is also quite a difference in the price of and tax on (thus profit on) legal tomatoes compared to legal weed. ;)



LA Times

and the solution to that, of course, is not to impose an excessive tax.

Alcohol is taxed, but not to the point that the moonshiner's still is a common thing.
 
Interesting story. The 'expert' sources are a bit biased. Now I have been in agriculture for several decades now. Bit surprising a stream can be chemical free and now poisonous in two years. That irrigation ditches (which have had chemicals in them for decades) are now suddenly deadly to cattle.

It is a bit sad to say howsomever Pot has been a major cash crop here in Oklahoma for far longer- yet we don't have this chemical problem, and few pot farmers tend their crops so intensely as to spray for bugs- Pot is a highly cultivated weed but a weed none the less. Fertilization is a once, at most twice application per crop. While hydro farms are sexy, for the most part fertilizing through the irrigation drip system is labor intensive as issues are routine.

Now the 'banned' deal... I guess that is to make the gangs a bit more 'bad'- a disregard for nature or some such- but there are a multitude of VERY effective HIGHLY available chemicals available at damn near every Lawn n Garden/Feed Store across this great Republic. Why smuggle in chemicals? I mean if you'd think they'd smuggle in drugs and buy pesticides/fertilizers locally.

Just seems odd to think pot farm are common enough to pollute but not enough to be detected in meaningful numbers... :peace
 
IMHO, it is more about tax evasion and using rent free but less fertile land. Not having those "unnecessary" expenses boosts profits.

You have a point, though tagging these people as outlaws for the last century or so likely contributed to that mindset. Also, the legal options are still developing. Create a situation with incentives to comply with the law and watch the vast majority wander in.


There is also quite a difference in the price of and tax on (thus profit on) tomatoes compared to weed. ;)

Again true, but a symptom of the prohibition. Cost to produce marijuana isn't significantly higher than tomatoes. Even with the sin taxes, prices should fall significantly once supply rises, and growers don't have the same security concerns. Also home growing will be more appealing, contributing to the competition.

If they manage to tax it to the point where illegal operations still undercut the legal market, then congratulations to the legislative @ssholes who missed the point.
 
and the solution to that, of course, is not to impose an excessive tax.

Alcohol is taxed, but not to the point that the moonshiner's still is a common thing.

We are talking about CA here so that (bolded above) is likely off the table. CA taxes booze at $3.30/gallon (double that if it exceeds 100 proof) in Texas booze is taxed at $2.40/gallon.
 
You have a point, though tagging these people as outlaws for the last century or so likely contributed to that mindset. Also, the legal options are still developing. Create a situation with incentives to comply with the law and watch the vast majority wander in.




Again true, but a symptom of the prohibition. Cost to produce marijuana isn't significantly higher than tomatoes. Even with the sin taxes, prices should fall significantly once supply rises, and growers don't have the same security concerns. Also home growing will be more appealing, contributing to the competition.

Just trying to wrap my head around a world where marijuana is sold in grocery stores for $1.49/lb, like tomatoes.
 
You have a point, though tagging these people as outlaws for the last century or so likely contributed to that mindset. Also, the legal options are still developing. Create a situation with incentives to comply with the law and watch the vast majority wander in.




Again true, but a symptom of the prohibition. Cost to produce marijuana isn't significantly higher than tomatoes. Even with the sin taxes, prices should fall significantly once supply rises, and growers don't have the same security concerns. Also home growing will be more appealing, contributing to the competition.

If they manage to tax it to the point where illegal operations still undercut the legal market, then congratulations to the legislative @ssholes who missed the point.

Taxation of legal weed in CA is at 15% to 22.5% on its gross price and that appears to be before that weed (and the weed tax?) is taxed again by the CA general sales tax. The CA tax on a tomatoe is zero.
 
and the solution to that, of course, is not to impose an excessive tax.

Alcohol is taxed, but not to the point that the moonshiner's still is a common thing.

Moonshining isn't as common, but it still goes on. Also, the blackmarket cigarette business is a billion dollar a year industry.
 
Taxation of legal weed in CA is at 15% to 22.5% on its gross price and that appears to be before that weed (and the weed tax?) is taxed again by the CA general sales tax. The CA tax on a tomatoe is zero.

I have no doubt that the State of California (and many of it's local governments) will do their level best to squeeze every nickle out of weed, and will lose much of the benefit of legalization in the process.

We don't stay out here for the low taxes and pragmatic governance.
 
I have no doubt that the State of California (and many of it's local governments) will do their level best to squeeze every nickle out of weed, and will lose much of the benefit of legalization in the process.

We don't stay out here for the low taxes and pragmatic governance.

The utter absurdity of intentionally taxing something that is "medically necessary" at a ridiculously higher rate than a pop-tart could only happen in CA.
 
So, make sure legal licensing is reasonably attainable, make sure the tax scheme and legal methods of supply shops are reasonable, and go after illegal growers.








Illegal grow operations were there before legalization, making the reference to inviting them into one's neighborhood dishonest. California has always been a big grow state. If anything, this sort of thing can be used in an argument in favor of legalizing intelligently, not against.

:doh
 
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No kidding! In addition to those banned pesticides (illegal growers don't care what's banned, go figure) there are piles of trash, diverted streams, and illegal aliens who have been told that they would be shot if they were discovered, then given weapons to defend the "plantation." What could possibly go wrong there?

It's high (no pun intended) time to end the illegal growing of pot and grow it openly on private land in accordance with the same laws that tomato growers comply with. There's no shortage of tomatoes, and nobody sneaking into tomato farms at night to steal the crop, nor are people trying to grow tomatoes in the national forests and national parks.


I am shocked. Criminals don't care about the law? But we have a law against it!!!
 
We are talking about CA here so that (bolded above) is likely off the table. CA taxes booze at $3.30/gallon (double that if it exceeds 100 proof) in Texas booze is taxed at $2.40/gallon.

California does love its high taxes, that's for sure.

Still don't see a lot of moonshine around here, though. Could be taxes aren't quite as high as we think.
 
I am shocked. Criminals don't care about the law? But we have a law against it!!!

That's right. There are signs up, "drug free zone," and "gun free zone," not to mention the gun regulations. Criminals, of course, abide by all of that as we all know...

...well everyone except the California legislature, and the war on drugs folks in Washington.
 
California does love its high taxes, that's for sure.

Still don't see a lot of moonshine around here, though. Could be taxes aren't quite as high as we think.

Booze taxation is a bit worse in NV. The most ridiculous is taxing weed at moronic rates while pretending that it is "medically necessary" - only CA could come up with something that crazy.

Hmm... how about a bandaid, sunscreen and tylenol tax? ;)
 
Booze taxation is a bit worse in NV. The most ridiculous is taxing weed at moronic rates while pretending that it is "medically necessary" - only CA could come up with something that crazy.

Hmm... how about a bandaid, sunscreen and tylenol tax? ;)

Lots of medications are outrageously expensive, but not due to taxation.
 
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