Park rangers in Sequoia National Park, California, have cleared an extensive illegal cannabis cultivation site covering roughly 13 acres.
According to a statement from the National Park Service (NPS), rangers removed more than 2,300 mature cannabis plants. They also hauled away nearly 2,000 pounds of trash, pipes, and equipment using both manual labor and helicopter lifts.
The site was first discovered and raided by park law enforcement in 2024, but officials reported that the area could not be fully restored until this year due to hazardous substances at the site. Among the items found were a semi-automatic handgun and toxic chemicals, including methamidophos. The insecticide, banned in the United States since 2009, is highly poisonous and poses serious risks to people and wildlife.
The case is currently under investigation, and no suspects have been identified or arrested so far.
According to the NPS, natural water sources had been diverted from a creek nearby through irrigation lines and storage pits. Additionally, hillsides were terraced for planting, while vegetation was cleared on a large scale. Rangers also found makeshift camps, cooking areas, poaching activity, and illegal trails stretching about two miles through the wilderness.
Beyond the physical alterations, the environmental impact is severe. Cannabis plants require significant amounts of water, roughly six to eight gallons each day. That level of consumption strains fragile ecosystems, robbing native wildlife and vegetation of the water they rely on. In addition, runoff from the site may carry pesticides into streams, further contaminating habitats.
Large-scale drug cultivation has been an issue in California’s Central Valley and its surrounding parks for decades. Since the early 2000s, nearly 300,000 plants valued at close to $850 million have been seized from Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks alone.
Although the state legalized recreational cannabis in 2016, strict regulations on legal cultivation have fueled a thriving underground market. Many unlicensed operations disregard environmental laws, leaving behind polluted land, depleted water sources, and damaged habitats.
In Northern California’s Siskiyou County, for example, authorities estimate over 15,000 acres of illicit grow sites have been discovered. The result has been declining wildlife populations and widespread use of unregulated pesticides.
Rick Dean, director of community development for Siskiyou’s environmental health unit, described the grim conditions in a past interview. “When you walk through those sites, there’s hardly any wildlife left,” he said. “You’re lucky if you spot a single lizard.”
The grim results of illegal marijuana grows in California make a strong case in support of the calls by the marijuana industry, including firms like SNDL Inc. (NASDAQ: SNDL), to stamp out such illicit actors in all jurisdictions where marijuana has been legalized, and even in prohibitionist jurisdictions.
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