Keeping ganja illegal can be measured by many metrics.
I think keeping the best medicine for ill patients is
criminal and un-American.
I also think it’s hypocritical to keep alcohol legal
and cannabis illegal.
But there’s an environmental cost to forcing illegal
grows to meet the societal demand.
According to the federal government that is….
“Grow site operators often contaminate and alter
Ganja Grow Debris
watersheds; divert natural water courses; clearcut
native vegetation; poach protected wildlife;
discard garbage, nonbiodegradable materials,
and human waste at deserted sites; and create
wildfire hazards. Moreover, the National Parks
Conservation Association (NPCA) reports that
while preparing land for cannabis cultivation,
growers commonly clear the forest understory,
which allows nonnative plants to supplant
native ones, adversely affecting the eco-system.
They also terrace the land—especially in
mountainous areas—which results in rapid
erosion. The cost of restoring land damaged by
such outdoor cultivation is significant; the
National Park Service estimates that for every
acre of forest planted with marijuana, 10 acres
are damaged, and further, the cost to repair and
restore an outdoor cultivation site is approximately
$11,000 per acre.”
U.S. Department of Justice
National Drug Intelligence Center
Product No. 2007-L0848-001
February 2007
The potential environmental benefits of planting ganja outdoors
are too many to list here, but I’ll hit that topic another time.
“Think green” means more than buying a hybrid vehicle.
Save the environment. Legalize ganja.
Primo
