Los Angeles Times Investigation Reveals Devastating Consequences of California Weed Rush

[DigitalDrifter]

Who would have ever thought if you legalize pot, you'll get more illegal pot growers?

By the way, in order to get around the Times' paywall, I linked to another source with the same subject.

Last year, Oregon lawmakers earmarked $25 million to crack down on the illegal cannabis farms that have proliferated across southern parts of the state.

By no means has Oregon solved the problem: Oregon State Police raided a 32-greenhouse farm operating illegally in Josephine County just last month. But the state has done more to address the issue than its southern neighbor. California has largely allowed the problem to go unchecked.

The consequences have been devastating, according to a Los Angeles Times investigation. Small, rural communities have been taken over by illegal growers, who operate with impunity while polluting waters, harassing residents and exploiting workers.

Los Angeles Times Investigation Reveals Devastating Consequences of California Weed Rush

www.wweek.com

Here's the Times link:

Legal Weed, Broken Promises: A Times series on the fallout of legal pot in California

California’s legalization of recreational cannabis in 2016 ushered in a multibillion-dollar industry. But many of the promises of legalization have proved elusive.

www.latimes.com

 

[Polishprince]

This is what I have said a thousand times to legal grass proponents, but they always tell me I'm full of excrement on FB.

Of course legalizing grass is huge for the racketeers in criminal gangs. Particularly as the regulations and taxes and licensing involved in the legal business are so abusive.

Those taxes and regulations open the door for huge profit potentials in the untaxed product, whether its grown by the racketeers or if it falls off of a truck.

 

[pknopp]

LOL on the idea that people should have to get the governments permission to grow a weed.

 

[initforme]

If you believe in freedom you have no issues with legal pot. Otherwise you are against freedom.

 

[Polishprince]

LOL on the idea that people should have to get the governments permission to grow a weed.

Well, that's the whole idea of the "legalized weed movement". For the government to license, regulate and tax the sale of grass up the wazoo.

Its certainly what they are doing in California, and want to do here in Pennsylvania.

The idea of just being able to pick up a bag of grass at a display in the snack aisle at Walmart and not being schlonged by the tax man for the privilege- isn't the idea libs have in mind when they gab about legalizing the whacky tobacky.

 

[pknopp]

Well, that's the whole idea of the "legalized weed movement". For the government to license, regulate and tax the sale of grass up the wazoo.

Its certainly what they are doing in California, and want to do here in Pennsylvania.

The idea of just being able to pick up a bag of grass at a display in the snack aisle at Walmart and not being schlonged by the tax man for the privilege- isn't the idea libs have in mind when they gab about legalizing the whacky tobacky.

I can't speak on what some vague someone or another means when you say they say something or another.

 

[RoshawnMarkwees]

Cannabis: the mass murderer’s drug of choice.

 

[whitehall]

Going back to the "whiskey rebellion" and the legendary war against illegal stills that fueled organized crime. it was all about federal tax. What did they think would happen if they legalized marijuana production?

 

[DigitalDrifter]

The cartels are heavily involved in these illegal grows. Here in Oregon the problem is getting out of control.

 

[Polishprince]

The cartels are heavily involved in these illegal grows. Here in Oregon the problem is getting out of control.

Why don't they just legalize the illegal grows? Let the people just cultivate their grass is a spirit of leftist love, free from interference from "the man".

 

[marvin martian]

This is what I have said a thousand times to legal grass proponents, but they always tell me I'm full of excrement on FB.

Of course legalizing grass is huge for the racketeers in criminal gangs. Particularly as the regulations and taxes and licensing involved in the legal business are so abusive.

Those taxes and regulations open the door for huge profit potentials in the untaxed product, whether its grown by the racketeers or if it falls off of a truck.

I lived in a county in California that had a number of legal pot farms, and they were always being robbed by criminal gangs. They also had a problem with "legal" farms selling to both legitimate and illegitimate buyers.