AlterNet: The Shocking Benefits of Legalizing Pot

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The Shocking Benefits of Legalizing Pot

By Ami Cholia, AlterNet. Posted August 8, 2009.

Here are some pluses to legalization that you probably haven't heard about.




The war on drugs may be a noble intention, but the illegal growing of marijuana is destroying our environment and we need to step in.

Primarily run by Mexican drug cartels in the fields of California -- marijuana is the state's largest cash crop generating nearly $14 billion a year -- the marijuana growers aren't your typical peace-loving hippies of the 70s. Hundred KW generators, diesel storage tanks, ATV vehicles and large quantities of animal poison are just some of the things involved here.

These men live illegally on farms all summer, putting tons of waste into the soil and water.

Irrigation tubes that snake for a mile or more over forested ridges. Pesticides that have drained into creeks and entered the food chain, sickening wildlife. Piles of trash and human waste in the most rugged and bucolic drainages.

The danger extends to wildlife as well, because the growers put out poison or shoot the animals that they think are going to threaten the crops.

The presence of rats makes the situation worse. To protect the crops, the growers use poison pellets which the rats ingest. Once the body decomposes, the poison goes back into the soil. Vultures and other animals eating the rats can also be poisoned. ..........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.alternet.org/drugreporter/141781/the_shocking_benefits_of_legalizing_pot/

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