Marijuana And It's Effects On Our Environment
The legalization of marijuana it is mostly centered around heath factors, taxes, economy, crime rates, dispensaries, legislation, MONEY and so on... It is very uncommon to hear about the environmental effects growing marijuana has on our environment.
Electricity



Water
Streams, rives and lakes are drying up due largely in part to the current drought, however approximately 50,000 pot farmers are redirecting water for their own use using PVC Pipes, water bottles, funnels, and pretty much anything else they can get their hands on.

Chemicals
Pesticides and Fertilizers are commonly used in grow in both indoor and outdoor Marijuana Crops. Rodent Poison is another common chemical found in and around marijuana crops, as mice and rats are attracted to the plants. This is causing problems as the mice and rats are eating the poison them other animals are eating the dead rodents and dying or getting very sick themselves. In northern California people are using Illegal Fertilizers and pesticides on their crops when it rains these chemicals run into main water sources, therefor polluting the water source. If the water source is a stream or river then those chemicals are carried further causing mass pollution. In Northern California forestry and wildlife conservationists are finding a severe decrease in salmon and other fish due to all of the illegal marijuana grows polluting the water.

Pollution
Growing marijuana outdoors requires a lot of materials, including irrigation equipment, fertilizer, camping material and food and water for the people working in the grow operation. They also need to be close to a water source and have adequate sunlight. These
illegal water diversions and the materials used to divert the water, as well as increased sedimentation and pesticide use, are the main environmental impacts from marijuana grow operations.
“Near Fish Lake in Humboldt County […] pot farmers were using PVC pipe, Dixie cups, funnels and even 2-liter Pepsi bottles to divert water for 5,000 plants.”
-DeWayne Little, a lieutenant with CDFW's Watershed Enforcement Team
Once the grow operation is complete these farmers are leaving behind truckloads of garbage and trash, as well as poisonous materials and illegal fertilizers. All of these items are susceptible to wildlife ingestion, as well as polluting bodies of water and Forrest area.
