16/10/2009 / USA
A tonne of weed going up in smoke might sound like a lot, but there's so
much of the stuff in the US,
that it wouldn't be that much of a problem. In any case, weed that's grown
outdoors is not very good for smoking with. Male and female plants get mixed up
and there are loads of seeds and insects. So this is no great loss.
In Colorado, cannabis grows in parks
When a rancher from northwest Denver went looking for lost cattle a couple of weeks ago, he stumbled upon what appeared to be a mass of weeds in the middle of a state forest. In fact, it was a mass of weed - over 5,100 plants, weighing in at over a ton.
The discovery in state park Golden Gate Canyon, is the fourth outdoor cannabis plantation in the US to be seized since the start of the summer. This most recent harvest would have raked in almost a million dollars (€670,000) in street sales. Not bad, but far from the park's record find - in August, police removed and destroyed a plantation of 14,500 plants, or 2.5 million dollars (€1.6m) of potential earnings.
Jefferson County Sheriff's Office called on West Metro Task Force, an agency of forest guards specialised in the prevention of drug trafficking, to dispose of the goods. A Black Hawk helicopter was even called in to transport the load, which was then turned to embers. Proud of his treasure trove find, the Sheriff's Office even sent photos of the farm to the local newspaper (see below), and described the tent, equipped with sleeping bag, clothes, and food, which was found on the site.
Possession of cannabis in small quantities is not penalised in the state of Colorado. A plantation however, is not looked upon so kindly.
UPDATE (09.10.19 - 1pm): the US Justice Department has announced that federal drug agents will no longer pursue pot-smoking patients or their sanctioned suppliers in states that allow medical marijuana, under new legal guidelines to be issued by the Obama administration today. Read more here.
Contributors
“Legalisation’s an economic opportunity during this financial crisis”
Nils Jucaud, originally from California, is currently working in Paris. He's a regular smoker of marijuana.
A tonne of weed going up in smoke might sound like a lot, but there's so
much of the stuff in the US,
that it wouldn't be that much of a problem. In any case, weed that's grown
outdoors is not very good for smoking with. Male and female plants get mixed up
and there are loads of seeds and insects. So this is no great loss.
These outdoor plantations are pretty common in America. The authorities can be a bit heavy handed with their sentencing though. They impose federal laws, but these sometimes contradict state laws.
In California, I get my cannabis by prescription, each one lasting a year. The doctors aren't stupid, they know I no longer smoke for pleasure but for therapeutic reasons, but even if it were for pleasure, then better to do it legally anyway. Besides, it brings in a considerable amount of revenue for the state, because prescribed cannabis is taxed. That means employment opportunities, control over the market and organised crime and a reduction in deficits. It's an economic opportunity that should be given serious consideration, especially during this financial crisis."
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