Illegal Marijuana Grows Left 6,000 Pounds Of Waste In California State Parks, Helicopters Were Needed To Clean It Up

About 6,000 lbs of trash left behind by illicit marijuana grow operations were removed from four state parks in California. This effort was part of a cleanup operation by California State Parks' Cannabis Watershed Protection Program (CWPP).

The Golden State has struggled with illegal cannabis cultivation for years, and the dangers associated with these activities are significant. John Nores, a retired lieutenant with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), highlights several risks: toxic fumes, attacks by trained dogs, and even the threat of being shot. Nores warns that these dangers are more common than many realize, with thousands of illegal grow sites on public lands and parks across the nation, cultivating millions of cannabis plants.

This spring, the operation was carried out at the following locations:

• Cuyamaca Rancho State Park (SP), where about 1,800 lbs of waste were removed from the Sweetwater Watershed.
• Henry W. Coe SP, where around 2,200 lbs of waste were removed from the Coyote Creek and Pajaro Watersheds.
• Malibu Creek SP, where some 1,000 lbs of waste were removed from the Malibu Creek Watershed.
• Topanga SP, where about 1,000 lbs of waste was removed from the Topanga Creek Watershed.

These illegal operations are usually hidden in remote locations and the ruggedness of the terrain required for the waste to be lifted with helicopters out of the parks. That's why these operations require considerable time and resources to remediate or clean up.

Read Also: California Lawsuit Takes Aim At Cannabis ‘Lab Shopping’ As Dangerous Pesticides End Up In Popular Weed Products

Photo: Courtesy of California State Parks.

Environmental Damages, Organized Crime And Effects On The Legal Market

CWPP has documented more than 400 illicit grow sites on State Park property. To date, the program has fully remediated 84 former cannabis grow sites, removing 29,000 pounds of waste, 32,500 cannabis plants, 360 pounds of fertilizer, 200 hazardous waste items and over six miles of irrigation tubing.

Environmental damages from these illegal grows are often long-term and alarming. Water ends up diverted or polluted with banned and dangerous pesticides and fertilizers, and animals are illegally hunted and killed. The Guardian recently reported how illegal marijuana farms have destroyed once a blossoming wilderness leaving empty space where “you’re lucky to see a lizard.”

According to Rick Dean, the community development director for Siskiyou’s environmental health division, challenges include “the daily accumulation and disposal of human waste and garbage that is buried on site. Many are plastic containers left over from fertilizers and pesticides.”

In addition to environmental damages, these illegal cultivation operations are sometimes linked to organized crime and are silently jeopardizing the legal cannabis market. One of the reasons this is happening is that the fines for illegal cannabis operations are often not hefty. By contrast, legal commercial growers have to pay taxes, licenses and fees, and follow strict restrictions on the use of pesticides and chemicals and other safety protocols.

See More: Legal California Cannabis Market ‘On The Verge Of Collapse,’ While Illegal Growers Thrive, Destroying Environment

CWPP was established in 2019 with the mission of preventing and alleviating environmental damage from illegal cannabis cultivation and supporting stewardship and operation in a manner that discourages and prevents cannabis cultivation on State Park lands.

In 2022, California Governor Gavin Newsom established the Unified Enforcement Task Force (UCETF) in an effort to crack down on illegal marijuana operations, which have been an ongoing problem in the state. In just the first quarter of 2024, UCETF seized more than $53.62 million in illegal cannabis.

Read Next:

• Fewer Than Half Of L.A. County’s 1,481 Cannabis Shops Are Legal, Illicit Operators Reopen Within Weeks Of Being Closed Down
• California County Sheriff Calls For State Of Emergency Over Illegal Cannabis Grows, Seeks Federal Funding

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Featured photo: Courtesy of California State Parks