Marijuana National Forest
MARIJUANA NATIONAL FOREST : Encroachment on California Public Lands for Cannabis Cultivation ∗ Mark Mallery Marijuana cultivation on public lands has become an increasingly prominent issue affecting natural resources and public safety in California. Cultivators degrade natural reserves by altering land, diverting water, applying chemicals, and inhabiting sites for long periods of time. Clean up and remediation efforts are conducted to reduce the long-term impacts, but these efforts remain hindered by high costs, understaffing, and the remoteness of sites. The primary cultivators are Mexican Cartels that operate in California to exploit the fertile land and lucrative markets for marijuana. Environmental remediation depends on law enforcement agencies’ ability to identify and seize sites. As the issue has become increasingly prevalent, law enforcement agencies have adapted their efforts, but have only had a limited effect. In order to prevent the problems created by remote marijuana production, cultivators must be prevented from utilizing public lands, or the incentive for doing so must be removed. Subject categories: Social science Keywords: marijuana, cannabis, California, drug trafficking, immigration INTRODUCTION annabis is an adaptive and highly successful annual with the ability to grow in most C climates across the globe. Cannabis belongs to the Cannabaceae family, “has a life cycle of only three to five months and germinates within six days.” 1 Cannabis can occur in a wild, reproducing state throughout the California floristic provinces, and is cultivated even outside of areas where it may naturally reproduce. 2 Cannabis planting, growing, and harvesting seasons are similar throughout California and typically take place April through October. “Exposed river banks, meadows, and agricultural lands are ideal habitats for Cannabis” since these ecosystems provide “an open sunny environment, light well-drained composted soil, 1 Booth, M.
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