Seizures of indoor and outdoor cannabis crops reported by the US Drug Enforcement Administration rose in 2016, according to annual data compiled by the agency.
According to the DEA’s Domestic Cannabis Eradication/Suppression Statistical Report, law enforcement confiscated more than 5.3 million marijuana plants nationwide in 2016. The total is a 20 percent increase over the agency’s reported 2015 seizure totals and is the most plants seized by the DEA and its cooperating agencies since 2011, when law enforcement confiscated more than 6.7 million plants.
As in past years, the DEA-sponsored eradication efforts primarily targeted California. Of the total number of plants confiscated nationwide by the DEA and cooperating agencies in 2016, 71 percent (3.78 million) were seized in California. Law enforcement seized an estimated 552,000 plants in Kentucky, 333,000 in Texas, 128,000 in Tennessee, and 124,000 in West Virginia.
Only seven percent of all marijuana seized by law enforcement came from indoor grows.
The agency and its partners reported making 5,657 arrests in conjunction with their cannabis eradication efforts – a ten percent decline from 2015.
The DEA also reported seizing some $52 million in assets during their confiscation operations – nearly twice as much as the agency reported the prior year.
Full data from the DEA’s 2016 report, as well as from past years’ reports, is available online here.
So the Trump administration kicked up marijuana prohibition enforcement. That should be fairly obvious to anyone who can pull their head out of fakebook or distinguish whether the fu€king moron is not the source of misleading information himself.
And greedy law enforcement is certainly emboldenened by Trump;
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2017/10/06/georgia-sheriff-deputies-indicted-after-body-searches-of-900-high-school-students/?hpid=hp_hp-cards_mhp-card-national%3Ahomepage%2Fcard&utm_term=.b04ee2d49814
Groping 900 high school students without a warrant, without consent, evidence or any moral justification whatsoever? Just a verbal claim they had “drugs”? At least we can still take these bastards to civil court, but every month that goes by Trump can appoint new Federal judges. I predict once this tax plan to feed the rich flops harder than Trumpcare the evil billionaire prohibitionist Batman villains (Adelson, Paulson, Kochs, Mercers and Putin) that put the GOP into power will dump Trump like a bad haircut.
The real fascinating part of these stats is that the DEA is still primarily focused on dirt weed, or eradicating feral hemp. This is where I wonder if the Koch’s refinery in Chorpus is invested in eradicating hemp as a source of natural fertilizer so they can sell their toxic, synthetic nitrogen fertilizer made from natural gas which we use in all our food and cotton now. Monsato Bayer has a stake in the game as legal domestic hemp would drastically reduce herbicide and pesticide consumption as well as demand for their drifting GMO cotton and soy.
Good news is the Farm Bureau just endorsed the Industrial Hemp Farming Act. And the DEA thinks they can stop hemp from growing in the US? Good luck with that.
I don’t think it is fair to blame President Trump for an increase in marijuana seizures during 2016 since he did not become president until 2017. I think we can blame either President Obama or the mostly republican congress for that.
Of course if this nonsense continues, we can certainly start blaming President Trump. Part of me is still hopeful that Trump will indeed show himself to be a caring decent person and that he really is different from those who live in the political swamp. Obviously, it doesn’t help that he chose one of the worst attorney generals ever (Jeffrey Sessions).
Interesting Miles, that you would believe that there is any chance beyond the 7th level of our worst Hell imagineable that President Trump could improve his demeanour, much less act responsibly. If anything, we haven’t seen the worst of him yet.
As for the 2016 stats, I honestly thought about that and concede that its not entirely fair to blame Trump specifically since he didnt take office until 2017. Certainly the state Attorney Generals in 36 Republican Controlled States have an influence on these records, which would certainly explain early upticks in states like Virginia.
But Trump was elected in 2016 and let me tell you a little bit more about “embolding” bad law enforcement. For example, if we look at the racial disparity in the uptick of marijuana arrests in NYC for the last 10 years;
http://www.politico.com/states/new-york/city-hall/story/2017/02/marijuana-arrests-in-nyc-increase-in-2016-still-large-racial-disparities-109306
We can see that marijuana arrests were declining under President Obama until the Trump campaign began to stir up racial tensions in the U.S. during 2016. It was primarily blacks and latinos getting arrested during the racially charged 2016 campaign year that caused the increase in arrests. Look at the bar graph and read the article.
Trump began his campaign blaming “Mexicans” for bringing “rapists” and “drugs” across the border… blaming people of color for our own made to fail drug policies. 80 years ago an evil bureaucrat named Henry Anslinger used the same technique to start marijuana prohibition. Law enforcement are emboldened by these racial epithets from campaign leaders even before the racist laws and orders are enacted.
Meanwhile if it wasnt for President Obama signing the Cole memos we would not be discussing state legalized marijuana stats for they would not exist.
*emboldening*
*demeanor*
I feel a bit sorry for you, please stop annoying everyone on here
No one needs your pity Jordan. But if you feel annoyed then maybe you’re learning something.
Jefferson Beauregard
Let me put your fears to rest. Nobody is trying to eradicate hemp because it’s a fertilizer. Hemp is no more a fertilizer than peanuts, and it’s certainly not at all a viable contextual fertilizer. Your fears regarding “drifting GMOs” are also unfounded, it doesn’t really happen the way NaturalNews tells you it does. Hemp would not significantly reduce use of pesticides whatsoever.
Allow me to awaken you to reality:
https://www.hempbasics.com/shop/hemp-information
http://www.hemphasis.net/Environment/environment.htm
Hemp doesnt need to be used “as fertilizers.” It fertilizes itself. The lower leaves are crowded out by the tight growth of the field, fall off and provide “organic” nitrogen to the soil. Naturally, growing hemp in areas of poor soil will tempt some to use toxic synthetic fertilizers, but there is enough fertile soil in the US to sustain domestic demand.
Most of my research is found here on this NORML blog concerning Bonamici’s pending amendment:
http://blog.norml.org/2017/09/03/bonamici-files-amendment-preventing-federal-interference-of-state-hemp-laws/
Please click on the links while youre there and support the amedment.
The most revealing concerns are not only how much profit there is in annual sales of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides especially for “drifting” GMO crops like Cotton or Soy,
https://www.alternet.org/food/how-monsanto-devastating-thousands-farms-across-20-states?akid=16067.2366751.WWfaDB&rd=1&src=newsletter1082244&t=22
But that one of the leading producers of synthetic fertilizers, Koch Industries, gave 3/4 of a million dollars to Purdue University last year:
http://polluterwatch.org/charles-koch-university-funding-database
To come up with this nonsense;
https://dev.purduehemp.org/hemp-production/
A bunch of complicated algorithms to erroneously convince us hemp requires synthetic nitrogen fertilizers.
Hemp is a threat to synthetic nitrogen fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides because we cant profit from what we cant patent or “drift” or even “eradicate” out of the wild, despite Monsantos or the DEA’s best efforts.
It might surprise you, Ryan, that someone has already made the outrageous claim to patent industrial hemp;
http://www.google.com.pg/patents/US2397320
You should read the links.
You are factually incorrect on 2 points.
A valuable biochar can be created from hemp fiber.
Hemp does not require pesticides to succeed.
Still don’t believe drifting GMOs are an issue in American agriculture and arent a major factor in hemp and marijuana policy?
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/24757775/
Outdoor hemp and marijuana growers know they dont want eachothers crops anywhere near eachother. Trainwreck drifting into some lemon diesel might not be a catastrophe, depending on your soil and climate, but mj drifting into hemp? It’s like a chihuahua breeding a German Shepherd; Undesired results.
Drifting GMOs that are super resistant to constantly evolving herbicides is not only a threat to our crop diversity and agricultural sustainability but if the GMO cross pollinates with the same species of a neighboring crop Monsanto-Bayer can own your seeds;
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bowman_v._Monsanto_Co.
Bowman v. Monsanto was a unanimous decision where cross pollination occurred, and a farmer no longer owned his own seeds. That’s the fucked up world we live in right now.
Another issue is genetically modified plants can be patented. They dont even have to be genetically engineered. Marijuana is one of the most genetically modified plants on earth. As you can see from the link on my previous post whole plant strains of marijuana patenting is already starting to happen.
Trump voters owe us a goddamn apology. First, for voting for Trump; second, for believing Trump; and third, for defending Trump on this blog.
Trump voters, now are you ready to admit you were wrong?
It never ceases to amaze me what politically obsessed people will say to promote their own favorite party. Everybody knows that a bunch of lying politicians will say anything to get elected and then do whatever they please; often to gain wealth despite decision making that does not represent the wishes of the electorate. Neither party has changed the prohibition, and they all suck!!!!!!!!!!!!!
An additional note from my previous post; the Koch brothers aka “the Kock-heads” and John Paulson, aka “The Vulture” through former Kansas AG Kris Kobach used oil and agricultural subsidies we should be giving to small farmers to grow hemp to fund the Republican Crosscheck program which caged more than 7 million votes during the last election last names that like Martinez and Jackson… last names that vote %90 Democratic.
http://www.thebestdemocracymoneycanbuy.com
In Michigan, one of 26 states that implemented Crosscheck, more than 450,000 votes were caged where Trump only “won” by less than 15,000 votes.
Do you see the Republican corruption now?
Or did you think Senator McConnel stealing the Supreme Court from President Obama was Constitutionally accurate? Granted, even Democrats Gerrymander where they have majorities, but surely you can see the false comparison youre making now?
Now check the NORML Congressional scorecard.
http://Www.norml.org/congressional-scorecard
See how many more Democrats than Republicans would have won and legalized marijuana by now?
False equivalence. Republicans suck more, and by far.
I voted for Trump; second, I believe Trump; and third, I defend Trump on this blog.
SO THERE YOU HAVE IT.
I will also remind you that half of all voters voted for Trump and that most of those voters also want Cannabis legal.
Stop with your Trump bashing, we’ve heard it all after Obama and his “YES WE CAN”, all bullshit the day after he took office.
For any of you anti-Americans out there, Mark, we won’t stop you from packing up and getting out of America, bye, bye have a good life.
1/2? Try %15…
http://www.thebestdemocracymoneycanbuy.com
Fu€k you, Dave;
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/justice-department-at-odds-with-dea-on-marijuana-research-ms-13/2017/08/15/ffa12cd4-7eb9-11e7-a669-b400c5c7e1cc_story.html?tid=a_inl&utm_term=.04ad69ebd285
…Fu€k you…
What is the point? Cannabis isn’t going anyplace, and there will continue to be better and better supply of it.
It is time to admit defeat, give up prohibition and try a solution which might actually work. Legalize and regulate. Stop treating people like me like criminals.
I am proud to be a cannabis consumer, and am not afraid. It is time for the Government here in PA to at least pass Decriminalization, but legalization is the best way to go.
The legal States should be enough proof, as things are better out there. I’d move, but my roommate would probably not like leaving PA. (Pennsylvania)
It should just be legalized.
An increasingly dry, fire-prone climate in California is going to be an even bigger threat to marijuana and hemp farms than even the DEA’s eradication program:
https://www.marijuana.com/news/2017/10/cannabis-industry-hit-hard-by-california-wildfires/
Check out the pic of the guy evacuating with his marijuana plant. Forget the cat! Make sure your pot is portable! 🙂
Knowing exactly how many mj farms will be singing “Up in Smoke” in Sonoma County after these fires are tamed won’t be easy to determine since most mj farms can’t get insurance:
“The exact numbers are difficult to determine, recent surveys in Sonoma County estimate there are anywhere between 3,000 and 9,000 marijuana farms of varying sizes within county lines.”
But from drone view, the fires appear to be hitting state-legal marijuana farms (of course theres no data on non-state-legal farms)… far more than the feral hemp the DEA is primarily targeting through their eradication program because thats what is being cultivated. Or is it?
http://theleafonline.com/c/business/hemp/2017/01/california-business-interests-primed-for-hemp-farms/
CA is bypassing DEA licensing this year to grow hemp.
How much wild or state-legal hemp is there in California? Until we legalize federally, I doubt we’ll ever know. This DEA report just groups all cannabis together. How does the DEA even verify what they have is even cannabis? What if these nuts are just out chopping down wild cassava or coral plants?
Anyhow, the real existential threat to mj farmers on the west coast now is the smoke crowding out sunlight in many more outdoor mj farms all the way to Oregon.
According to the Hemp Industries Association %77 of all the hemp products sold in the US come from California,
http://ca-hemp.org
But major CA hemp product manufacturers like Dr Bronners soaps claim they still get all their hemp oil from Canada.
That’s insane.
Not only is this insane to the local farmers and their lost revenue but think of the logistics? Were just gonna give all the profit to the Canadians and Fed Ex?
But then if these fires keep up perhaps it does make sense to let Canada grow most of California’s outdoor hemp since it grows so tightly together in the field making it more fire prone. And besides, Vancouver gets more rain. (Just a shorter growing season).
Maybe the future for outdoor growing on the fire-prone west coast are these marijuana trees that are spread far apart…
https://www.alternet.org/drugs/omg-huge-honking-marijuana-plants-check-size?akid=16180.2366751.-1_dx4&rd=1&src=newsletter1083535&t=18
…just trim those pine trees in the background up about 20ft… screw the privacy, ya’ll need a fire break!
I think medical marijuana should be passed. Most veterans have mental and pain issues that is helped by this with no side affects,like other medications have.