Trash from Cannabis Trespass Grows
Illegal Cannabis Farming Harms the Central Coast
Despite the legalization of marijuana in California, drug trafficking cartels continue to trespass on national forests and other public lands to illegally grow cannabis for the illicit market.
While most of these operations have been in Northern California, their presence and destruction is increasing on the Central Coast, including in remote areas of Los Padres National Forest.
These operations rip out plants and trees and use deadly pesticides and fertilizers that infiltrate soil, waterways, and food webs on which sensitive wildlife depend. This is particularly harmful in the backcountry of Los Padres National Forest, where the last remnants of the region’s intact native habitat host endangered plants and animals that are already threatened by climate change.
