I used to think that legalizing weed would address problems in both the social justice and climate change arenas. At least for now, that’s just not the case. Even though weed is legal in Oregon, a county in that state just declared a state of emergency because illegal cannabis farms are sucking up all the groundwater and exploiting workers, according to CBS.
Oregon has had an underground cannabis farm problem since it legalized the sale and use of weed for recreational purposes all the way back in 2014. As many as 50% of weed farms in the state operate under the radar and register as legal hemp farms while secretly growing marijuana, per CBS. By not registering as marijuana farms, growers are able to avoid legal restrictions and sell to places outside of the state via the black market.
