Via the Christian Science Monitor – I’m guessing a strict adherence to California’s water laws is probably low on these folks’ priority list:
Large marijuana plots hidden deep in California’s public lands have illegally diverted hundreds of millions of gallons of water, compounding shortages caused by the state’s ongoing drought.
At least the water’s being diverted to a high-value crop.
More arguments for legalizing marijuana: Less illegal water use. (Especially if they use hydroponics.)
The impressive part of this diversion is that the water all vanished from the planet and did not flow down hill or evaporate and go the mountains as rain or snow. I would listen to these articles more if the writers realized that water molecules, unlike gasoline or Yoplait, do not get ‘used up.’ They have to go somewhere. Very little remains in the marijuana leaves.
@Eric — it’s called “economic” use b/c it can’t be used elsewhere without waiting for the hydrological cycle.
@Nora — totally right. Legalize it.