$1 billion (with a “b”) marijuana busts on public lands of 7 western states!
Take a deep breath,
and hold it! 😉
Although California continues to account for the bulk of the illegal marijuana harvest, crackdowns by law enforcement agencies appear to be pushing some pot growers to other states. The response is “Operation Mountain Sweep” in seven states west of the Rocky Mountains!
In California, roughly 8 million marijuana plants were destroyed in 2009, 5 million in 2010, less than 2.5 million in 2011, and probably even fewer this year, according to Wagner.
Since Operation Mountain Sweep began on July 1, 2012, local, state and federal agents have seized 734,000 marijuana plants in California – six times more than all of the other western states combined. California accounted for 83% of the pot seized in the western region. Officials destroyed 48,000 plants in Idaho, 25,000 in Arizona, 19,000 in Washington, 18,000 in Nevada, nearly 10,000 in Utah, and just 300 in Oregon, as of last week. The operation will continue until the end of August.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) said that the more than 500,000 marijuana plants seized on public lands of western states exceeds $1 billion, not counting the plants seized on adjacent private property.
Officials said that the pot plantations can devastate public lands and endanger those who hike, hunt, or fish on public lands.
-Bill at
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