SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — With Proposition 84 on the November ballot, which would legalize recreational marijuana in California, many people are discussing the impacts it would have on the state.
KRON4’s Maureen Kelly talked with a wildlife biologist who says the environmental impact should not be ignored.
“They’re out there raping the land basically, for their own personal gain,” a biologist said.
Trashed campsites and animals dying after consuming rat poison are a few of the problems. The culprits are believed to be big drug trafficking operations that trespass onto properties to grow black market marijuana.
The biologist are worried that these problems will continue even after Prop 64 is passed.
Prop 64 acknowledges the environment threat and if approved would set aside some of the hundreds of million in pot tax revenue to help clean up and prevent the environmental damage from illegal marijuana growing operations.