More Pot Seizures Are Linked to Drug Cartels
Mexican drug cartels, attracted by the state’s rich soil and remote forests, grew nearly three-quarters of the pot seized in California this fall, state officials announced Tuesday.
That marks a dangerous shift toward large and sophisticated growing operations, said Sonya Barna, commander of the Department of Justice’s Campaign Against Marijuana Production.
“It used to be an industry controlled by hippies with small gardens,” Barna said. “Now, it’s not uncommon to see cartels planting anywhere from 2,000 to 10,000 plants in a garden.”
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