Marijuana Water Usage (Essay Sample)

Student Name Marijuana Water Usage Institutional Affiliations Instructor Date The tactics and strategies supporting legal and illegal growers of Marijuana and the water issue Marijuana has been legalized in many parts of the world on the basis of its recreational, medicinal and industrial purposes. However the cultivation of Marijuana has its implications on the environment linked to the massive depletion of water sources. Apart from the licensed dealers of Cannabis, the market has been flooded with illegally produced Cannabis which is sold cheaply killing the market for small scale licensed growers. This paper looks into the tactics and strategies which support the legal and illegal growers of Marijuana and also the water problem connected with production of Marijuana. Some areas such as the Oregon counties have kept a culture of anti-authority streak and this culture has contributed to not being compliant to the law and has contributed to the massive illegal growing of Cannabis in the forests and greenhouses. The legalization of pot farms allowed every interested person in Oregon to grow up to four Cannabis plants but instead has led to the rapid proliferation of uncountable pot farms which are not licensed controlled by criminals in Mexico, China and Europe. Marijuana being a highly water-intensive plant, such legal and illegal cultivations is leading to depletion of water sources. Illegal pot farms are the worst culprit for water theft. While marijuana licensed farmers are scrambling to get water through legal means, the illegal port farmers are stealing the waters through clandestine operations.[Jim Teece, "Grown Rogue : Building Positive Partnerships Between the Cannabis Industry & Community," Southern Oregon Business Journal, last modified March 15, 2022, https://southernoregonbusiness.com/grown-rogue-building-positive-partnerships-between-the-cannabis-industry-community/.] 0169037000While those who are legally licensed to grow marijuana are in the bid of establishing positive relationships as well as partnerships with the stakeholders in order to have positive experiences within the industry, illegal growers are taking the opportunity. Licensed organizations are establishing relationships with illegal growers. Sheriffs partner with the illegal growers while claiming that they are helping the legal industry to do their business. The water masters in regions were marijuana is licensed have not been keen on who they supply the water to. Without enough personnel on the ground to monitor water usage is a situation that has seen illegal growers also milk the streams to dryness. The illegal growers have seemingly established good relationships with the communities by supplying cheap marijuana. The issue of moratoriums on Marijuana licensing which advocate for the levels of THC are not properly implemented leading to confusions and the illegal growers take the opportunity. This brings in the issue of illicit water use. The lack of proper law enforcement, water enforcement and human rights enforcement, illegal grows have become the main depletion centers for the available water sources.["‘Something’s Not Right in Southern Oregon’: Alarm at Rise of Illegal Pot Farms," The Guardian, last modified January 12, 2022, https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/jan/12/oregon-marijuana-illegal-farms-environment.] Another tactic is that of licensing growers of hemp and not Marijuana. In the department of Agriculture, hemp growers are legalized to go ahead to grow hemp by adhering to given rules. Cannabis is two varieties – hemp and Marijuana. Hemp is grown for agricultural purposes such as food, oils and fiber. With illegal cultivators not paying for water use, they will take the chance that they are growing hemp and go –ahead to deplete water sources becoming even more wasteful without any regard for sustainability. With scarcity and theft of water being pervasive, there are very high odds were most cannabis farmers who receive the licenses to grow Cannabis will end up behaving in the same pernicious manner. Water theft in Oregon, California, Mexico and other places are connected with both the legal and illegal cultivation of Cannabis. This permeates the cultivation of Cannabis for whichever purpose. The legalization of industrial hemp has seen many illegal growers get to hide the psychoactive cannabis plants within the main hemp fields. Although hemp smells and looks like the marijuana, its legalization has allowed the existence of criminal organizations to quickly grow on a large scale.[elbab-Brown, Pot Water-theft] Another tactic is the issue of deregulation. With the high demand for Marijuana in the US, this means that prices should be high but the high deregulation of practices on illegal production places a lot of pressure of the legal markets in different places. Since the illegal growers will steal water, they will have cheaper means of production since they also do not pay taxes, licensure and permits. With many farmers lacking the understanding on rules and regulations governing water use and rights of irrigation, most people tend to ignorantly obtain farm use permit, get their hemp registration and go ahead to even use the water available without asking for exclusive rights. This deregulation is a big concern as it acts as a non-deterrence on illegal water use.["‘Something’s Not Right in Southern Oregon’: Alarm at Rise of Illegal Pot Farms," The Guardian, last modified January 12, 2022, https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/jan/12/oregon-marijuana-illegal-farms-environment.] In order to avoid costs on the water for the Cannabis plants, legal and illegal growers in the US tend to seek to have water from sources which are not the legal metered taps. In 2014, illegal Marijuana cultivators expended over 2million gallons which is equivalent to 7.6million liters of unpaid water. Legal permits would require farmers to be tax-compliant and comply with every regulation regarding water use where indoor cultivation is required to only use 100% renewable energy. With consistent cultivation and compliance, farmers would be required to have the US code which is costly and a complex proposition involved in obtaining permits from water boards and thus many farmers find it cheaper to go under cover and use short cuts. Cartels who hav...