While there are many benefits to legalizing Marijuana, the Los Angeles times wrote a very interesting article on the impact of growing of medical marijuana on small towns which I wanted to share, because it gave a different perspective on the legalization and growing of marijuana. This article focused on Trinity County, which was called “Northern California’s pot paradise” by High Times magazine. Trinity County only has 14,000 residents and has no traffic lights, freeways or even parking meters. This place is a hotbed for growing medical marijuana because of its climate, which is very warm and dry. Currently, lots sell for around $50,000, in which there are 10,000 marijuana plants growing. Farmers are very protective of their lots, often guarding them with electric fences, dogs and even have been known to threaten trespassers with guns.
Although Trinity County only has 14,000 residents, the huge growth of medical marijuana has affected its residents and safety. For example, the football practice at the local high school had to be moved because of the marijuana odor outside. Also, the sheriff’s department has been busy fighting organized crime, closing illegal sites, arresting laborers and collected 400,000 illegal plants. The Sheriff’s Department stated that they have spent nearly $1 million dollars removing 29,085 pounds of debris (fertilizer, irrigation pipes, pesticides, and so forth) from abandoned marijuana farms.
Thus, while the growing of medical marijuana brings many benefits to California, and will bring more if legalized, I don’t think people realize the possible consequences of growing throughout California. Even though I support the legalization of marijuana, I think we need to be careful and realize the potential impact on towns throughout California.
