Disaster in the foothills

We’re getting pretty fed up with certain marijuana farmers. In particular, the ones who are grading the foothills, eviscerating the landscape, excavating giant holes, and then bringing in semi-truck loads of soil in which to grow plants.

As reported in a recent story by News Editor Tom Gascoyne (see “Pot grades,” Newslines, May 30), what these growers are doing, without permits, is illegal and extremely environmentally unsound. It’s time for these “farmers” to be called out. They may want to portray themselves as nature-lovers and purport to be growing marijuana to help people suffering from medical ailments. But, come on, we know the real motivation here. It’s money.

If it wasn’t money, they’d be taking care to not harm the environment. They wouldn’t destroy trees and other vegetation. They wouldn’t use chemical fertilizer and pesticides that run off from clay soil and pollute our creeks, rivers and other water sources, or their neighbors’ wells. How do these so-called compassionate growers reconcile the fact that they are harming the natural environment?

The truth is they don’t care. They just want the biggest plants they can get. To hell with their neighbors and the Earth.

To growers: If you want to be a real farmer, move to the valley. Or find a new method of growing.

To buyers and co-op members: Know where your marijuana comes from and the methods employed to grow it. Find a new supplier if you don’t see what you like.