Make Marijuana Legal And Help Save The Environment

The war on drugs may be a noble intention, but the illegal growing of marijuana is destroying our environment and we need to step in.

Primarily run by Mexican drug cartels in the fields of California -- marijuana is the state's largest cash crop generating nearly $14 bullion a year -- the marijuana growers aren't your typical peace-loving hippies of the 70s. Hundred KW generators, diesel storage tanks, ATV vehicles and large quantities of animal poison are just some of the things involved here.

These men live illegally on farms all summer, putting tons of waste into the soil and water.

Irrigation tubes that snake for a mile or more over forested ridges. Pesticides that have drained into creeks and entered the food chain, sickening wildlife. Piles of trash and human waste in the most rugged and bucolic drainages.

The danger extends to wildlife as well, because the growers put out poison or shoot the animals that they think are going to threaten the crops.

The presence of rats makes the situation worse. To protect the crops, the growers use poison pellets which the rats ingest. Once the body decomposes, the poison goes back into the soil. Vultures and other animals eating the rats can also be poisoned.

Each plant also uses about 15 gallons of water per day soaking up a large part of the water resources around.

This drug policy report indicates that the trouble goes beyond drug warriors with toxins.

The drug war's threat to the environmental is not limited to overzealous drug warriors armed with toxic herbicides. Organized crime groups who cash in on the drug war's distortion of supply and demand dynamics have little regard for the environment. In Andean nations, illicit cocaine producers dispose of chemical byproducts by pouring excess chemicals wherever it's convenient. The hazardous methamphetamine labs of the U.S. are reminiscent of the deadly exploding liquor stills that sprung up throughout the nation during alcohol prohibition. Even growers of organic marijuana impact the environment by felling trees in national forests to make room for illicit grow sites.

Most detractors are also the first to clarify that medical marijuana growers are actually some of the most responsible citizens around.

There is a ser-ious distinction to be made. Many medical [legal] marijuana growers are some of the most responsible citizens around. They buy soil in bulk, use rat traps instead of poison, water with timers and drip systems. They have very little physical impact on the land. I'm not up against legal growers. The ones I'm concerned with are the ones polluting the environment in the name of huge profits. The plants are seasonal, but the environmental damage lasts forever.

Outside of the obvious benefits of hemp -- can be used as a bio-diesel, burns cleanly, makes soil stronger, sturdier paper, etc. -- organic and sustainable practices for growing marijuana would bring in tons of revenue for the states, clear up the environment, and save the government $150 billion on policing and courts, since 47.5% of all drug arrests are marijuana-related.

While we're not promoting a drug addiction here, the benefits to the environment by making marijuana legal, definitely seem enough to take action.

Even Glenn Beck seems to think this is worth it.

While you're at it, here's a quick history of weed to bring you up to speed with how we got here:

Comments

[rblackbird]

The drug police and the drug pushers need each other.

Illegal drug sellers need the police because they enforce the anti-drug laws. The laws do not dampen society's appetite for drugs. Enforcement merely causes shortages making addicts to pay ever-increasing prices to the benefit of the cartels. If one could buy marijuana in a pharmacy at reasonable retail prices, who would need the cartels?

Police need the drug pushers as well. The police are hard-working and dedicated. But if marijuana, for instance, was made legal there would be no marijuana crimes. If no crimes, then no criminals. No criminals, then less need for the drug police.

This formulation is admittedly simplistic and does not account for every situation. For marijuana, though, we need a revolutionary change in policy. Paying hundreds of police to rummage through our forests and pull up marijuana plants is like paying hundreds of park rangers to shovel up all the buffalo chips at Yellowstone. It's make-work; the job never ends.

[powerlift2201]

Harvesting hemp causes much less pollution when compared to the logging industtry. Tree harvesting requires large machinery to cut, fell, wrangle and haul. These machines require a good deal of gas, oil, lubricant and hydraulic fluid, which often spills into the ground. Hemp farming requires far fewer large machines, which is also less damaging to the environment. Loggers could convert their business to harvesting hemp. They wouldn't need nearly as many large machines to use and maintain on sight, which would save them thousands and even hundreds of thousands of dollars each year. They would be able to harvest the hemp at a higher rate, which would increase their business bottom line as well. So Hemp farming would be a win-win-win-win for the environment (less pollution), loggers (lower overhead and increased profits), producers (fewer caustic chemicals to render the cellulose and cheaper product) and the consumer (cheaper clothes, paper, gas and so on)

[anthonytaurus]

...continued

Marijuana plants do not use 15 gallons of water a day. If that were true, indoor grow operations would be difficult to manage. Think about it. I have 5 smaller indoor plants. I replace a gallon of water every 2 days or so for the whoooole crop.

What's happening here is that the author has ignorantly mixed indoor growing with outdoor growing. You would need a hundred KW generator for a massive indoor grow to run lights, water pumps, air pumps, and so on off the power grid. You would not need that for outdoor. The sun is the light, the earth is naturally airy (otherwise, how do other plants grow), and the water system, if they need one outdoors, is usually gravity based.

The author is also comparing current farming methods of typical American farms which include a heavy use of pesticide which we are all familiar with. The crop duster airplanes are practically an American icon.

In the end, we're both promoting the legalization of marijuana. But, I continue to have a serious problem with lies and misinformation. People need to make choices based on the truth, not use one set of lies to counteract another set of lies. Where's the truth?

[timmamok]

I think you missed a point there. They aren't talking about people like you or me. They are takling about big drug cartels and poor growing systems.

I can't believe I agree with Glenn Beck on something (more or less).

[robbyJ]

If Obama gets in for his second term, it will be legalized. My god even Glenn Beck thinks it.

[robbyJ]

Maybe Obama should build it into his health care bill. Literally sell pot for health care.

[sense11]

It would be nice if the federal government wasn't at war with regular people. Its sickening how much money they make by arresting people for doing something harmless.

[Nicon]

Here is a fantastic new video by LEAP.

Cops and Clergy speak out against the drug war.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwIHmHb1cSU&feature=player_embedded

[fumes]

another great vid link from you nicon thanks!

gotta love norm stamper eh?

[Nicon]

Your Welcome. Check out www.stopthedrugwar.org, is where i find most of them.

[TheGeoduck]

I cant' believe I am saying it, but Glen Beck is right. I feel so dirty, Eventually, the sun will shine on a dogs arse.

[bluecollarblogger]

As a nurse I think it is time for our goverment to wake up and smell the buds! With healthcare reform, the baby boomers, the increased cost of living and medications its time to give people with chronic pain, cancer, hiv etc and option other than the expensive and addictive pain medications. From experience i can tell you, i have seen more patients get addicted to Percocet, Morphine, Demerol than I have Marijuana. We all know this in the medical field, thats why they do not want our opinions. How much money could we save a year just treating people with marijuana for pain contron, anorexia, nausea and vomiting?......Billions......and don't think that the drug companies don't know that...........legislate the will of the people or get out!

[Chip W]

Why is marijuana illegal?

http://blogs.salon.com/0002762/stories/2003/12/22/whyIsMarijuanaIllegal.html

[texterdexter]

Drug interdiction isn't a "noble intention." It's an industry that supplies clients to a major division of a related industry: the prison business, worth billions. Now that the government in its infinite wisdom has privatized large segments of the prison system, the incarceration business has its own lobbyists, unions, congressmen, the whole deal. Keeping marijuana illegal is just as important to the prison business as it is to drug cartels: it's a price support.

[milisabelle]

Well, here I am in Canada where hemp IS legal.... Has anything horrible happened? The only stupidity is that our legal system (especially police) still bother to go after small growers and users. The last bust of cocaine or heroin was huge, that makes sense. The government came THAT close to legalizing and putting it in with the Liquor Control Board (in Quebec you can buy beer at the corner store...)
This is such a no-brainer... which means that powerful groups stand to lose a lot of money if it IS legalized. I have hemp clothes. My husband has a hemp gi (for martial arts). These clothes last FOREVER compared to other natural or man-made cloth. Money talks, and nobody in power listens to COMMON SENSE. Hemp is a weed! It grows without help. Up until Hearst (THE Hearst) got a patent on making WOOD paper, did the whole nonsense start. Billions have gone into the Drug War, billions have gone into the Cancer 'war'. Lots of people got rich, nothing got better. Check out the statistics....

[powerlift2201]

Not only does hemp grow very well in many climates it also has a very fast harvest cycle. With a high turnover rate of crops, hemp could generate a lot of money for struggling farmers. The logging industry could be converted into hemp farming industry.

[cimbri]

Pot should be legalized. I'm for anything that makes us more free and it's absurd to spend jillions locking people up for such an innocuous pastime.

[socialmistfit]

We have Dems in power now, so why are they not passing legislation to legalize it?

I only voted to them thinking I could get high legally. What a major let down.

[Dabo415]

Holy Bejebus! I agree with GLENN BECK!

GLENN FLIPPIN' BECK!

[Chip W]

It happened to me once. Don't let it get you down.

[missouriwatcher]

LEGALIZE IT!! There are absolutely NO good reasons for ANY plant to be illegal.

[fumes]

canadian thistle ought to be illegal..

have you ever stepped on one in your bare feet?

[missouriwatcher]

Good reasons to:
1) wear shoes; and,
2) watch where you are stepping.

[norkas]

Hemp grows very fast and coorect conditions toy can get a 6 ft tree in 6 month. Make smoking pot legas and allow people to grow there own up to certain amounts. Otherwise tax it and allow people to have it because mnay do need it for pain and anger management. I know for a fact that one person i know temper has been in control for a long time because of it. No piils are no good and he will not take them.

Other people have brutal pain and need it very badly. Hemp is a great buliding material and does not catch on fire when used for building material. It is flexable and when a big storm hits it will not break but bend under very high winds.. Cothing , food and others good comes from this product.

Please get nehind the movement to make it legal even though i do not smoke it i am for it

[bardgal]

We need to legalize pot so we can grow HEMP. Cheaper and faster renewable than wood for paper, oil for fuel, can be made into clothing, and can be grown almost anywhere. CANNOT GET HIGH FROM INDUSTRIAL HEMP.

Hemp could turn around our agri-business and the economy.

[RazeTemple]

I hear ya loud and clear!
There's currently a lot of lobbying going on by plastic/nylon(and maybe even lumber and cotton) corporations that want to stop hemp even for industrial use. If the others weren't bad for the environment I would be ok with it, but since hemp does no harm and they do, lose em and get with the hemp I say! Good post :)