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"It's Very Extreme" - Drought & Drug Cartels Drain California's Aquifers At Record Rate

Tyler Durden's picture




 

"If there's no water for people to live, and you don’t have the basic necessities of life, your population is going to leave," warns the emergency services manager of one California town, warning that as the drought continues (and is not set to ease anytime soon), "you could see the economy of this area just decimated." But as farmers face the catastrophe with "water levels dropping at an incredibly rapid rate in some places - like 100 ft a year - 10 times expected," there is another drain on the dry state's water sources. As The FT reports, "Marijuana cultivation is the biggest drought-related crime we’re facing right now," with up to 80 million gallons of water per day stolen by heavily armed marijuana cartels.

 

 

As The FT reports,

Lieutenant John Nores Jr estimates that each of the state’s 2,000-odd cartel pot farms contains an average of 5,000 plants, and that each one sucks up between eight and 11 gallons of water a day, depending on the time of year. That means at least 80m gallons of water – enough for more than 120 Olympic-size swimming pools – is probably being stolen daily in a state that in some parts is running dry as a three-year-old drought shrinks reservoirs, leaves fields fallow and dries wells to the point that some 1,300 people have had no tap water in their homes for months.

 

...

 

“Marijuana cultivation is the biggest drought-related crime we’re facing right now,” says Lt Nores as he pokes at a heap of plastic piping the growers used to divert water from a dried-up creek near the plantation.

 

The theft of 80m gallons of water a day by heavily armed marijuana cartels is undoubtedly a serious concern, not least when the entire state is affected by drought and 58 per cent is categorised as being in “exceptional drought”, as defined by the government-funded US Drought Monitor.

However, this is a tiny fraction of the water used legally every day...

and towns across California plunge into chaos...

The crisis is more severe because a decline in snowfall has compounded problems caused by the lack of rain. The state’s mountain snowpack was just 18 per cent of its average earlier this year, a situation scientists say could be repeated as the climate warms.

 

As a result eight major reservoirs were last week holding less than half their average storage for this time of year.

 

Reservoir levels sank worryingly when a bad drought hit California in 1976-77, but there were fewer than 22m people in the state then, compared with 38.3m now.

 

...

 

In a normal year, aquifers supply about a third of the state’s water. In a drought, that can rise to as much as 60 per cent. But one of the most alarming aspects of this drought is that groundwater levels are plummeting.

 

“Water levels are dropping at an incredibly rapid rate in some places, like 100ft a year,” says Michelle Sneed, a hydrologist with the US Geological Survey who monitors groundwater in the Central Valley. “It is very extreme. Ordinarily, talking with hydrologists, if you would talk about a well dropping 10ft a year that would really get somebody’s attention, like wow! Really? Ten feet? And now we’re 10 times that.”

 

The depletion of this vital resource is not just a concern because it is so difficult to refill some aquifers when drought eventually subsides. It is also creating extraordinary rates of subsidence because as the groundwater disappears the land above it can sink. In one part of the valley, land has been subsiding by almost a foot a year, which Ms Sneed says is among the fastest rates anywhere in the world.

 

...

 

The town of East Porterville has more pressing groundwater worries. At least 1,300 people in the town rely for drinking and bathing water on wells that have gone dry as the drought has deepened.

 

“We ran out of water in June,” says Donna Johnson, a 72-year-old retired counsellor who delivers water to dozens of dry households from the back of her pick-up truck.

 

...

 

But the severity of this drought finally led to a package of measures signed into law in September requiring local agencies to monitor and manage wells, or face state intervention. Some critics say it is too little too late: many local agencies will have five to seven years to come up with plans, and until 2040 to implement them. Still, it is a lot better than nothing, say others.

 

...

 

That is small comfort when the latest outlook from the US Climate Prediction Center suggests the drought “will likely persist or intensify in large parts of the state” this winter.

 

“If there’s no water for people to live, and you don’t have the basic necessities of life, your population is going to leave,” says Andrew Lockman, the emergency services manager responsible for East Porterville. “Our primary economic driver is agriculture. If there’s no water to water crops, we’re not going to have any agriculture business, so you could see the economy of this area just decimated.”

*  *  *
 

 

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Thu, 10/23/2014 - 18:18 | 5369516 stant
stant's picture

Don't come here we need ours for moonshine

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 18:23 | 5369537 CASTBOUND
CASTBOUND's picture

my roomate's ex-wife makes $83 an hour on the internet . She has been unemployed for 7 months but last month her check was $20054 just working on the internet for a few hours. visit the site... yelptrade.com

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 18:27 | 5369551 nope-1004
nope-1004's picture

Can she suck-start a Harley, or what?

 

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 18:41 | 5369592 X.inf.capt
X.inf.capt's picture

@LOONEY

not a real safe time to be a billionare...is it...

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 18:44 | 5369636 TeamDepends
TeamDepends's picture

Water, it's a helluva drug.

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 19:03 | 5369722 negative rates
negative rates's picture

Water is heavy Mr calculator, just how do they manage to suck dry that giant amount of water? On their backs.

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 19:16 | 5369775 BigJim
BigJim's picture

Those evil weed growers, huh?

I'm surprised they haven't found a way to blame Putin.

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 19:37 | 5369873 CrazyCooter
CrazyCooter's picture

Maybe we should send them some UHauls, some luggage ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0q4o58pKwA

Regards,

Cooter

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 19:56 | 5369959 Bangalore Equit...
Bangalore Equity Trader's picture

Listen Coots.

This whole California USSA drought thing is bullshit. California is looking for Federal "FUNDS" to save them from collapse.

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 20:00 | 5369982 lemonobrien
Thu, 10/23/2014 - 20:16 | 5370050 knukles
knukles's picture

In my little rural dry part of the People's Republic of Other People's Stuff, for the last 3 to 5 or so days, the spraying has resumed, big time.  Over the same time, the forecast has become for rain over the weekend.
Another fucking coincidence thingamajigiebob
My ass.

Fri, 10/24/2014 - 07:40 | 5371503 dontgoforit
dontgoforit's picture

8-11 gallons/day/plant?  Puullleeeaaassee!  MJ grows well on way less than 1/2 gal/day/plant - I call BS on this one...

Fri, 10/24/2014 - 09:44 | 5371874 newdoobie
newdoobie's picture

Have to change the water on the plants (Hydroponics), Outdoor plants don't need as much.

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 20:02 | 5369983 lemonobrien
lemonobrien's picture

doubled posted.

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 22:01 | 5370527 The Big Ching-aso
The Big Ching-aso's picture

Cry me a river. Oh, wait.

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 22:53 | 5370695 max2205
max2205's picture

Weed water. Weed water......hard choice.......

Weed beer. Weed beer.....

Fri, 10/24/2014 - 03:19 | 5371237 zhandax
zhandax's picture

So all the pot growers don't use enough water in a day to fill Atherton's swimming pools?  Are there more than 365 towns with more pools than that in CA?  Those folks don't have a water shortage.  They have a self-induced chlorine pollution problem.

Fri, 10/24/2014 - 06:49 | 5371406 espirit
espirit's picture

That's Mister Bangladesh Bob to you Sir.

Fri, 10/24/2014 - 17:02 | 5374131 Theosebes Goodfellow
Theosebes Goodfellow's picture

Edgar Cayce, in one of his trances, predicted the inland sea of san Joaquin. Sucking the aquifer dry prior to a good San Andreas shaker ought to do the trick. Shake, rattle and roll and the tide comes in through the Golden Gate..., for about three weeks straight. SHARKS IN MODESTO! (Feeding on... unsuccessful swimmers.)

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 18:43 | 5369638 SWRichmond
SWRichmond's picture

How many motherfucking $Trillions have been stolen by the MIC (also heavily armed) and the banks (backed by increasingly heavily armed police, even the goddamned Fed has police)?

The fucking drug cartels are pikers by comparison.

Fri, 10/24/2014 - 01:18 | 5371109 401K of Dooom
401K of Dooom's picture

Ok, wait until they come by your house and "ask" for a contribution for one thing or another.  Will you refuse them or become a hood ornament for their vehicle?  Just asking.

Fri, 10/24/2014 - 07:47 | 5371517 laomei
laomei's picture

If you refuse the same when the goverenment comes knocking, they'll murder you too... or at the very least steal your home and kick you to the curb.  gotta keep that pension fund alive you know.

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 18:48 | 5369660 Cobra
Cobra's picture

It's bullshit. $20,054 divided by $83 is like 242 hours worth of work for a month. I have worked that much in a month, but even after you get paid - you feel like a used whore (metaphorically speaking, of course.)

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 21:23 | 5370337 pilager
pilager's picture

On backpage or Everytime that fucking prudential ad pops up.

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 18:31 | 5369552 Looney
Looney's picture

Nailgun Alert!

Dominique Strauss-Kahn’s business partner has committed suicide, in Tel Aviv of all places.

Looney

P.S. Here's the link, paron my French ;-)

 http://www.afp.com/fr/node/2976547

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 18:32 | 5369589 NoDebt
NoDebt's picture

Yeah, they called me in on that job a few days ago.  Have nail gun, will travel.

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 19:58 | 5369967 nmewn
nmewn's picture

Wow, bad week to be an elite French banker. One does a header into a Russian snow plow and another into the Tel Aviv pavement.

Hollande must be devastated ;-)

Fri, 10/24/2014 - 06:51 | 5371407 espirit
espirit's picture

Wonder how many nails that guy had to use to off himself?

 

Long coil nails.

Fri, 10/24/2014 - 07:44 | 5371511 dontgoforit
dontgoforit's picture

Roughly translated:

 

The French-Israeli businessman Thierry Leyne, associate of former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn, committed suicide Thursday in Tel Aviv, do we learned from his relatives.

Main partner of DSK in an investment fund established in October 2013 and called LSK (Leyne Strauss-Kahn), Thierry Leyne, private banker, had a residence in Tel Aviv.

Engineering graduate from the Technion in Haifa (northern Israel), Mr. Leyne, 48, has spent his entire career in the financial world, including France, Israel and Luxembourg.

His family said he would be defenestrated by jumping off one of the tallest buildings in Tel Aviv. The reasons for this move were not disclosed.

In April, Mr. Leyne told AFP stated at the time of the creation of an investment fund Global Investment DSK created with Strauss-Kahn that it was "a very ambitious project," with the goal of reaching a size of $ 2 billion.

Mr. Leyne pointed out that "many people (were) applicants for the economic analysis of DSK," which he described as "capable of long-term strategy by identifying key trends but also to be able to react quickly to events that may arise. "

Thierry Leyne was head of financial firm Assya Capital, established especially in Tel Aviv, Monaco, Luxembourg and Romania, and founded in 1994.

In 2010, he merged this thriving group with Global Equities Capital Markets, which offers its customers, including Eastern Europe, the full range of financial services, private banking investment advice through the wealth management. By partnering with Dominique Strauss-Kahn in October 2013, it was renamed the LSK and Partners Group.

mib-fka / dlm / ct

Fri, 10/24/2014 - 13:03 | 5372855 tonyw
tonyw's picture

did he jump or was he pushed?

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 18:31 | 5369553 X.inf.capt
X.inf.capt's picture

i logged back on just to junk you..

TYLER...please hit your 'ATOMIC JUNK BUTTON' on our keyboard for this fool...

not the 'donkey punch' one..

the 'CZAR BOMB!' one...yeah, that should teach him....

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 19:38 | 5369884 CrazyCooter
CrazyCooter's picture

A drunk russian on a snow plow works too.

Just sayin' ... gotta keep the powder dry for the real trolls ...

Regards,

Cooter

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 19:58 | 5369971 nmewn
nmewn's picture

lol

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 18:26 | 5369555 nuclearsquid
nuclearsquid's picture

Good thing you upvoted yourself.

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 18:26 | 5369558 muleskinner
muleskinner's picture

Let us know when the check is for one billion dollars per month and the check clears.

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 18:35 | 5369598 Mr. Magoo
Mr. Magoo's picture

Thats about right for a high priced Escort

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 18:37 | 5369604 stant
stant's picture

My cousins x husbands Xcon brother makes 85 hr making moonshine and you can too !! Revenooersuck.gov

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 23:50 | 5370905 Wait What
Wait What's picture

you seem to be hip to what goes on in the backwoods of Tennessee. you think it's a coincidence that Jasper's distillery is located in a dry country, yet is the best selling whiskey in Amer'ka?

Jasper knew what he was doing.

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 19:22 | 5369812 WhackoWarner
WhackoWarner's picture

She must be an indoor grower.

Fri, 10/24/2014 - 01:45 | 5371149 Mac Avelli
Mac Avelli's picture

does it bother your roommate that his ex-wife is a whore?

Fri, 10/24/2014 - 07:48 | 5371516 dontgoforit
dontgoforit's picture

Not really.  He can still get some for $5 and a pint of 'shine.

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 18:26 | 5369562 Payne
Payne's picture

We are still required to have green lawns in CA or suffer Financial penalties, no jail time, yet.

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 18:35 | 5369599 Greenskeeper_Carl
Greenskeeper_Carl's picture

I love how on one hand they are blaming global warming for there being less of a snow pack each winter, yet the same publications will blame the extremely cold winter for the shitty economic numbers. It can't be both at the same time. This Orwellian doublespeak is getting tiring.

Fri, 10/24/2014 - 03:19 | 5371254 Decolat
Decolat's picture

True, but then any argument saying 'they' are both or/partially right or/wrong or 'you' are right/partially right or wrong/partially wrong makes any real facts on this situation psycologically clusterfucked... no wonder everyone is at each others throats concerning the state of the biosphere!

Something's rotten in the state of Denmark, let's find a way to agree on what that might be before we drive each other more insane than we already are.

Fri, 10/24/2014 - 00:00 | 5370936 Wait What
Wait What's picture

I got a message from the munis last week saying that my trash cans were violating code by being visible from the street, behind a gated fence and surrounded by bouganvilleas, all of which happen to be behind a gated fence down the road... and that i'd better fix that shit pronto. i struggled to keep the expensive IPA i had in my mouth from bursting forth when i read the letter. welcome to CA.

Fri, 10/24/2014 - 00:34 | 5371027 Implied Violins
Implied Violins's picture

Just leave your empties out on the road. If you drink as much as I do, the swarm of bums picking them up will mask the trash cans and you get a bonus in that they won't bang around raiding your 'can at midnight.

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 19:19 | 5369800 WhackoWarner
WhackoWarner's picture

KARMA?

 

In between self-worship and endless pools and multi-millions contracts for idiots like Tommy Cruz? 

Maybe Karma will finally flow to origins?  Hey Tommy?

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 20:51 | 5370184 Redneck Hippy
Redneck Hippy's picture

Meanwhile, San Diego County has more than 100 craft brewers even though virtually all water has to be imported.  Hmmm.

Fri, 10/24/2014 - 00:37 | 5371034 Implied Violins
Implied Violins's picture

Beer's recyclable cuz you always piss it all back. So it better stay exempt.

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 22:34 | 5370641 OldPhart
OldPhart's picture

This story is such bullshit.  My uncle's 'farm' was contained in dozens of kiddie pools and the water never left the plastic.

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 18:19 | 5369521 denverdolomte
denverdolomte's picture

Oh cry me a river....

 

/s

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 18:21 | 5369524 nope-1004
nope-1004's picture

"Marijuana cultivation is the biggest drought-related crime we’re facing right now," with up to 80 million gallons of water per day stolen by heavily armed marijuana cartels.

 

Seriously?  80 MILLION gallons?  C'mon.....

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 18:22 | 5369538 Skateboarder
Skateboarder's picture

And how many gallons of water does it take Nestle corporation to produce 1 kcal again?

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 18:26 | 5369561 kaiserhoff
kaiserhoff's picture

Bull Shit.

I have no use for pot, but the amount used for a few indoor grow rooms is comparable to pissing in the ocean.

Scale matters, and a mind is a terrible thing, not to have.

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 19:20 | 5369796 SheepDog-One
SheepDog-One's picture

I live in Colorado, I have a few friends who grow so I know....hydroponic system growing 10 large plants takes 2 gallons of water in circulation, have to add a bit now and then and maybe change it weekly, that's it though. No idea how they're getting this 10 gallons per plant daily nonsense.

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 21:05 | 5370247 pods
pods's picture

I call BS on that whole part.  2000 farms with 5000 plants each with each plant using 10 gallons a day?  What are they 45 feet tall?

I could water my whole garden with water hogging plants (tomatoes) and it would be maybe 10 gallons a day. That was probably 20-40 plants.

And if they know how many farms there are, and how many plants per farm, would it not be that tough to bust/burn/bomb them?  Every year we have a field or two found local and it is rather easy to bust them.

pods

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 23:49 | 5370897 Freddie
Freddie's picture

I was checking out those systems online for growing vegetables for prepping.   You can set up greenhouse types or these cabinets you can put in your garage.

I was interested in tomatoes, cucumbers and lettuce.

The govt will not like these home grow hydroponic cabinets for pot because they cannot tax it. 

Same thing I guess with sales tax on vegetables though some states do not tax food sales.

The only reason they legalized it was tax money and Soros wants people even dumber.

Fri, 10/24/2014 - 00:39 | 5371044 Implied Violins
Implied Violins's picture

Shit I drink enough beer I could keep those watered, easy. I should rent myself out...gotta be a short drive, though. Real short.

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 19:31 | 5369848 Urban Redneck
Urban Redneck's picture

Scale does matter. Who da Fuck uses "gallons" at the municipal or state level?

Foot Acres.

Or at least m3

If they aren't smart enough to understand units, then they probably can't fully wrap their mind around a number like 80 million anyway.

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 21:44 | 5370451 Spumoni
Spumoni's picture

Acre-feet, Redneck. Geez.

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 22:40 | 5370659 Urban Redneck
Urban Redneck's picture

And that was way back at 1:30am my time, you should see how whacked my brain is now... (nice catch)

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 18:36 | 5369602 Mr. Magoo
Mr. Magoo's picture

About 80 million

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 18:38 | 5369613 Cobra
Cobra's picture

I was thinking this... Nestle, golf courses, watering lawns, and weed too!
You can buy Nestle 'Pure Life' water here in NH for less than you can buy local spring water in the supermarkets. That's if you're dumb enough, because all of the tap water (save the fluoride, in some areas) is fine to drink. Fuck, you could get your daily water intake from most any river or lake up here - and here we are drinking yours, in a time of dire need.
Corporate bullshit.

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 18:28 | 5369572 The Wizard
The Wizard's picture

Seriously?  80 MILLION gallons?  C'mon.....

If the government knows that figure, it should be easy to track the pot growers down and have at it. The article is implying the government has the information but don't want to do anything about it. Think they may be making sumtin' on the side?

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 18:34 | 5369583 nope-1004
nope-1004's picture

Exactly.  How anyone could calculate 80 million gallons going to an underground industry, assuming grow-ops aren't legal yet, is beyond me.  And to claim it's "stolen by heavily armed cartels" is just plain stupid.

Do they show up in chevy's and demand water at gunpoint?  The claims are a real stretch.

 

 

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 18:34 | 5369601 NoDebt
NoDebt's picture

Do you seriously think they're trying all that hard to shut them down?

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 18:37 | 5369605 nope-1004
nope-1004's picture

That's of no concern.  My inquiring mind wants to know how these "heavily armed bandits" are stealing my water, dammit!

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 18:40 | 5369620 NoDebt
NoDebt's picture

Stealing is such an ugly word.  Let's frame it like this:  the water is going to the highest bidder.  And I bet the profits on pot cultivation are a lot higher than carrots or soybeans.  Or people watering their lush green lawns in the middle of the desert.

Definitely no gun and mask involved in this "stealing".

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 18:38 | 5369614 Mr. Magoo
Mr. Magoo's picture

Between the Geo engineered drought and all the land they are selling to the Chinese I would say they are trying very hard, and to add to that one of the Rothschilds family of vampires is on the board of PG&E  

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 18:38 | 5369612 Sudden Debt
Sudden Debt's picture

It's already called THE GREAT CEASAR SALAD VS. WEED WARS!!!

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 18:50 | 5369666 Taint Boil
Taint Boil's picture

 

 

80 million gallons is nothing – like taking a thimble full of water out of a bathtub.

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 19:19 | 5369797 spinone
spinone's picture

One pot plant takes about 1/2 to 1 gal of water a day for 100 days.  It can yield about 4-6 oz.  Worst case in a season 100 gal of water can yield 4 oz in a season.  An oz is about $500, so thats $2000/100 gal, or $20/gal.  That means that 8,000,000,000 gal (80 million a day for 100 days) will yield a crop with a street value of $160 Billion.

California GDP is $1.95 Trillion.  I call BS.

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 20:31 | 5370109 ljag
ljag's picture

I logged in just to call BS to your math. $500 oz? Really? Like the grower is gonna sit on the corner and sling zs. They be lucky to get 1/2 that

Fri, 10/24/2014 - 00:19 | 5370994 juangrande
juangrande's picture

As the old joke goes, " can you tell me which street that is so I can sell there?"

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 19:26 | 5369830 awakeRewe
awakeRewe's picture

Who owns the water? Detroit?

Fri, 10/24/2014 - 01:24 | 5371121 lostintheflood
lostintheflood's picture

 

"Lieutenant John Nores Jr estimates that each of the state’s 2,000-odd cartel pot farms contains an average of 5,000 plants, and that each one sucks up between eight and 11 gallons of water a day, depending on the time of year. That means at least 80m gallons of water – enough for more than 120 Olympic-size "

 

it's a stupid comment...never seen a plant that could drink 8-11 gallons of water per day.

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 18:21 | 5369528 weburke
weburke's picture

the big bad boys have no opponents. certainly there is no section of the fbi or cia or media to turn to, there really is no one. 

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 18:22 | 5369539 Bumbu Sauce
Bumbu Sauce's picture

The Choom Gang

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 18:24 | 5369541 Baldrick
Baldrick's picture

Dear Californiaians, We have so much water that it just flows out of any pipe you place in the ground. Our houses are cheaper and the lot sizes are larger.
Sincerely Detroit

p.s. You will need to buy guns.

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 18:33 | 5369595 mastersnark
mastersnark's picture

I'm not reading any downside into anything your just wrote. You do understand CA residents cannot own real semi-auto rifles with deatchable mags, right? A DMZ like Detroit is a step up for Californians, just sayin, yo.

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 20:21 | 5370068 knukles
knukles's picture

NO.  They tried to get that passed but failed.  Also tried to make you sign a register with thumb print (like a notary book) to buy ammo, as well

BizAsNormal

Fri, 10/24/2014 - 00:45 | 5371052 Implied Violins
Implied Violins's picture

They do that in Sacramento. Have to go to Elk Grove to get ammo anonymously. At least I can still buy silver without ID. And beer, too. Sometimes its good to look 20 years older than your age.

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 20:33 | 5370117 Baldrick
Baldrick's picture

life is a challenge my friend, step up to it.

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 18:24 | 5369547 SmittyinLA
SmittyinLA's picture

They have horizontal consolidation tax free franchise from growth to distribution-completely tax free 

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 18:25 | 5369554 mickeyman
mickeyman's picture

Can't they take some of those freshly printed FRNs and buy some?

I like how they blame the Mexicans

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 18:33 | 5369577 cynicalskeptic
cynicalskeptic's picture

They're confused and talking about the wrong 'grass' - more water gets used on lawns on golf courses in CA.

 

http://www.vice.com/read/save-water-ban-golf-815

"Looking statewide, the numbers really get fun. California is second only to Florida in the number of golf courses it has: 921. Together, those courses use as much water as 2.8 million people, or about 7 percent of the state's population. While middle-class homeowners risk fines for watering their lawns, millions upon millions of gallons of water are wasted every day on a boring leisure sport for the wealthy."

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 19:14 | 5369772 Binko
Binko's picture

As a long term Californian I've said many times that we will know our government is taking the drought seriously when the golf courses turn brown. 

Until that time it's all politics and damage control and posturing. 

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 20:28 | 5370087 knukles
knukles's picture

The golf courses are already turning brown.   The great, famous PasoTiempo has only green tee boxes and greens.  Fairways are dirt.  Many are in fact, closing as wells have dried up.  Not as gluttonous as many think ....
....UNTIL you get to Southern Cal, notably LA where water usage is way up!
10%+
And it all comes from Central Valley via canals ....  Stealing people's water from up North to buy Votes down South.
And the state has a ballot measure to spend a bazillion more... supposedly to create more water... but it's just to ship more for votes.
Assholes

No Shit!

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 18:31 | 5369581 NoWayJose
NoWayJose's picture

So shouldn't the drought be driving out the marijuana growers too?

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 18:32 | 5369587 mastersnark
mastersnark's picture

Well if a pig is saying its true, it must be true. They hardly ever lie, amirite?

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 18:33 | 5369593 Spungo
Spungo's picture

We should make water illegal. That will dramatically increase the supply of it. And it would be cool to drink water.

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 18:42 | 5369625 gwar5
gwar5's picture

Reverse Grapes of Wrath.

Cheap labor migration soon to flee CA Dust Bowl straight into the new Great Depresion and Black Plague, and WWIII.

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 18:41 | 5369628 world_debt_slave
world_debt_slave's picture

glad I got out in 2012

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 18:42 | 5369630 maverickxt
maverickxt's picture

WHY IN THE FUCK DON'T THE FEDS JUST GO IN AND TAKE THESE WETBACKS OUT. duh

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 19:22 | 5369642 SheepDog-One
SheepDog-One's picture

I guess the FED agencies have no time for dealing with 'heavily armed drug gangs'....I guess molesting granny at the airport is far more important.

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 22:36 | 5370645 RallyRoundTheFamily
RallyRoundTheFamily's picture

exactly

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 19:03 | 5369721 directaction
directaction's picture

The Feds are too busy chasing down (non existant) terrorists. 

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 19:57 | 5369966 SilvertonguedAngel
SilvertonguedAngel's picture

The feds brought them here, why would they make them leave?

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 20:09 | 5370016 didthatreallyhappen
didthatreallyhappen's picture

why would they hurt their friends?

Fri, 10/24/2014 - 00:47 | 5371058 Implied Violins
Implied Violins's picture

Um...because they get a cut?

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 18:44 | 5369634 SheepDog-One
SheepDog-One's picture

With all this cyber security and DHS, 'heavily armed drug cartels' just steal 80 million gallons of water every day, but granny gets strip searched at the airport? Everything is seriously fucked!

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 18:43 | 5369637 maverickxt
maverickxt's picture

WHY IN THE FUCK DON'T THE FEDS JUST GO IN AND TAKE THESE WETBACKS OUT. duh

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 19:56 | 5369962 SilvertonguedAngel
SilvertonguedAngel's picture

+1

 

Finally a solution that makes total sense.

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 21:38 | 5370424 falconflight
falconflight's picture

Are you serious?

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 18:45 | 5369639 MrButtoMcFarty
MrButtoMcFarty's picture

Right....Blame the weed....As they divert freshwater to the ocean to save the minnows....

Bullshit.

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 18:46 | 5369643 NoDecaf
NoDecaf's picture

All the Chinese landlords in New York are waiting.

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 18:52 | 5369649 Skip
Skip's picture

Not only are they draining the aquifers and poisoning the state and national parks with their marijuana grows but they've destroyed 100,000s of acres of California agricultural land with their meth labs.

34 million green cards ordered by Obongo administration..

Report From Occupied America: Sunday in the Park with Jorge
July 22, 2007 Steve Sailer

Park Inflation–Obama Inflates The San Gabriels To National Monument Status … In The Name Of Diversity! By Steve Sailer October 11, 2014, 12:27

In the 1992 Los Angeles riots there were almost as many Mexican looters as blacks.

"Mexico is a jungle, as are increasing swaths of today’s America. In 1950, very little of America was jungle, but for over 50 years, a powerful movement has sought, with great success, to turn most of the country into one."

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 18:48 | 5369657 Yen Cross
Yen Cross's picture

  I had to double check and make sure Rahm Emanuel didn't write this article.

 It's those evil pot growers damn-it... Never let a good crisis go to waste.

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 20:22 | 5369658 NYPoke
NYPoke's picture

Oddly enough, California is looking more & more like Mexico everyday.  Strange.

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 18:49 | 5369659 jomama
jomama's picture

Dude, that's gotta suck when you get cottonmouth!

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 18:49 | 5369665 Kreditanstalt
Kreditanstalt's picture

Are we at war with Eurasia or with Eastasia this week?

Are we at war on drugs or on homelessness this week?

 

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 19:08 | 5369745 SheepDog-One
SheepDog-One's picture

ISIS! OMG those bastids! Gotta spend $20 billion tomorrow on them evildoers!

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 19:16 | 5369787 ozzzo
ozzzo's picture

Where have you been? We have always been at war with Eastasia. Eurasia has always been our beloved ally. The wars on drugs and homelessness were rolled into the glorious everlasting war on freedom-hating last week, along with the wars on gun violence and disease. Don't forget to line up for your government injection after you turn in your guns.

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 20:41 | 5370134 tarabel
tarabel's picture

 

 

Pay no attention to the delusional dissident comment listed below this official communique.

We are at war with Easteurasian homeless drugs. We have always been at war with Easteurasian homeless drugs.

(narrows eyes and lowers voice to a smooth hiss)

You're not trying to suggest something different, are you, comrade?

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 18:56 | 5369693 sparetime
sparetime's picture

July and August are the only months marijuana plants use anything close to 10 gals a day. June and September closer to a 1/2 a gal a day. 100 times more water is used for frost protection in Napa,Sonoma, and Mendocino wine vineyards.

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 19:00 | 5369709 rockraider3
rockraider3's picture

8 gallons per day per plant?  That is so inaccurate that it's hard to take anything being reported here seriously.  

I drove by Shasta Lake and Trinity Lake about a month ago.  They are bone dry, for sure.  But not because of the Pot being grown.  

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 19:02 | 5369710 divedivedive
divedivedive's picture
car·tel

: a group of businesses that agree to fix prices so they all will make more money

 

Keep Mexico out of this.

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 19:01 | 5369715 The Count
The Count's picture

And who is buying said maryjane? If we American would lay off the weed the freakin cartels and mafia could stick all that weed up their asses, but no, we all think grass is cool, it's ok, etc. I think anything you put in your body that fucks it up is neither necessary nor good. But that's just me.

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 20:08 | 5370010 Bemused Observer
Bemused Observer's picture

No...if we Americans would stop trying to pass laws that micro-manage every aspect of our lives, those cartels and mafia could stick all that weed up their asses because that would be all they could DO with it...pot would be growing as ditch-weed everywhere, and have zero market value.

If only you could understand that this would not result in any appreciable increase in regular pot smokers we'd be able to git 'er done.

The temptation to exercise control is just so great in some. We need to purge our law codes of ALL of these moral restrictions. The law should deal exclusively with civil or criminal conflicts, the settlement of property disputes, matters of contract law, things like that. Personal behavior should only be dealt with by law when it causes direct harm to society, ie: the drunk getting behind the wheel, etc. No law should be passed regarding the drinking, or what is being drunk.

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 20:23 | 5370069 The Count
The Count's picture

you missed my point, or maybe i did not make it clear... not talking about any laws here, just folks not smoking, snorting, fixing because its plain stupid...haha, i know, good luck with that.

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 21:04 | 5370241 Bemused Observer
Bemused Observer's picture

Hey, I can't understand the horny types who can't keep it in their pants, or keep their panties on, but it's obvious they are having fun, so as long as they don't rub up on ME, more power to 'em...

Fri, 10/24/2014 - 08:03 | 5371532 laomei
laomei's picture

The law-passing is just part of their ideal world though.  A system where every exception and situation is fully covered under the law to the point where everything is more or less automated and requires little if any human input.  That's what their bullshit system results in.

 

Over here, I got a police department to make an error on a document in my favor.  In the US, this would result in me winning the game.  A government body made an ackowledgement which is against policy and therefore, the rest of the government must be held to that "fact" which was created.  Over here... I pointed this out when processing some paperwork and hoping for it to maybe come true.  Result: "Haha, no, we don't care what they did, it was wrong and we don't recognize it... we'll go ahead and process it though without making you go back and get it done again the right way though".

 

In the US, it would be lawsuit material, over here... eh, just an innocent mistake, no reason to crucify anyone, no harm done. 

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 19:02 | 5369717 Bemused Observer
Bemused Observer's picture

I feel bad for the small farmers, but the big agricultural interests are going to get a taste of the free market, and how it relates to the allocation of resources.
There's a LOT of money in weed, and don't think that fact has escaped those willing to capitalize on it. Maybe Monsanto starts to get muscled out of some territory because pot has a better return than tomatoes for these cash-starved smaller towns, or because pot growers have as much money for bribes as big ag now...
Laws passed favoring corporate farms can just as easily be repealed should that prove more profitable.

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 19:44 | 5369725 Its_the_economy...
Its_the_economy_stupid's picture

“Marijuana cultivation is the biggest drought-related crime we’re facing right now,” says Lt Nores as he pokes at a heap of plastic piping the growers used to divert water from a dried-up creek near the plantation.

 Wrong, asshole. The biggest drought related crime is big agri-business's subsidized water purchases by .....wait for it.....the US taxpayer via big water projects that have no hope of ever being paid off as criminally amortized.

Wake the fuck up.

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 19:46 | 5369919 Its_the_economy...
Its_the_economy_stupid's picture

-1

somebody's toes got stepped on. (wake the fuck up).

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 20:39 | 5370139 SubjectivObject
SubjectivObject's picture

A negative by a negative is a positive.

Just sayin.

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 19:06 | 5369729 Westcoastliberal
Westcoastliberal's picture

Let's shut off water to the useless 1,000's of golf courses before messing with withholding water from the Pot crop. Cannabis is California's #1 cash crop.  Golf is a declining sport that literally wastes millions of gallons each year.

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 19:11 | 5369751 SheepDog-One
SheepDog-One's picture

Yea, my last drive by I recall Palm Springs looked as green as ever.

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 19:23 | 5369823 The Count
The Count's picture

Cash crop? Really, we deserve to destroy ourselves....

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 19:08 | 5369747 kchrisc
kchrisc's picture

Pols and crats steal wealth from people to create profits for themselves and a beholden society based on cheap water. When the cheap water supply is threatened, the pols and crats leverage their control of water into more controls over their minions, and profits too.

Reminds me of how one goes about capturing wild pigs, except with cheap water not corn.

An American, not US subject.

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 19:09 | 5369749 Bunga Bunga
Bunga Bunga's picture

As long as I see lawn sprinklers running, it can't be that bad.

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 19:13 | 5369767 deeply indebted
deeply indebted's picture

"Marijuana cultivation is the biggest drought-related crime we’re facing right now,"

That's retarded.

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 19:53 | 5369948 SilvertonguedAngel
SilvertonguedAngel's picture

Dirty mud people illegal importation is the actual biggest drought related crime the CA government is committing right now

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 21:57 | 5370513 Spumoni
Spumoni's picture

Yeah, hell. Sell the pot and go buy water from the grocery store. Let's see: 5000 farms producing 100 lbs a month/1600 oz at $250/oz amounts to about $400,000 bucks a month/farm; Evian water at 16.00/gallon, yields 25,000 gallons of Californicated water x 5000 farms: that's 125 million gallons a month, enough to replace what the illegal heavily-armned cartel pot growers use (everybody already knows who bought up all the good pot farmland - the Big Tobacco Cartel), and add 2 billion dollars a  month to the state economy, much of it imported money from the California Hinterland (aka the rest of the globe)...

I don't see what all the fuss is about.

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 19:17 | 5369784 Max Cynical
Max Cynical's picture

Maybe the Feds should stop trying to protect the Delta Smelt by diverting snow melt into the Pacific Ocean...

"The deliberate decision by this administration in 2009 and 2010 to divert hundreds of billions of gallons of water away from the Central Valley destroyed a quarter million acres of the most productive farmland in America..."

http://mcclintock.house.gov/2011/01/water-water-everywhereexcept-for-cal...

Keep in mind this was penned in January 2011...and look where we're at today.

Here's the latest update from October 1, 2014.

Pacific Legal Foundation asks SCOTUS to weigh in on Delta smelt water cutbacks

http://blog.pacificlegal.org/2014/plf-asks-scotus-weigh-delta-smelt-wate...
Thu, 10/23/2014 - 19:24 | 5369819 Stained Class
Stained Class's picture

Gotta get that inflation rate up one way or another, one hand scratches the other....

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 19:20 | 5369805 Stained Class
Stained Class's picture

Like if there was only dirt, then no water would be used. But if there were trees instead of pot plants, would they still be thieves?

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 19:29 | 5369839 Professorlocknload
Thu, 10/23/2014 - 19:30 | 5369841 QQQBall
QQQBall's picture

I feel another POT TAX coming.... wait for it!

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 19:43 | 5369897 Ariadne
Ariadne's picture

Its the Rothschild's water. They want it back.

They want obedient workers. Obedient workers. Obedient workers. Obedient workers.  

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 19:49 | 5369921 muleskinner
muleskinner's picture

Who gives a shit about those dumb fucking Californians if they can't figure out that they need water to grow crops and marijuana is definitely one of them.

If they can't get the job done to feed people and grow edible/efficacious crops, well then, fuck them.

Stupid dumbasses.

Get your shit together and forget about your stupid ass stupid shit.

Jesus H. Chriist on a Crutch.

Get your shit together.

Food is your cure and your medicine.  An herb that has been in the pharmacopia in 4000 different pharmaceuticals prior to the Volstead Act has merit, validity, veracity, legitimacy, downright good for you and anybody with a beating heart will tell you the same.

Figure it out.

Buy yourself a six pack of Stone IPA and drink it all.

 

 

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 19:48 | 5369932 SilvertonguedAngel
SilvertonguedAngel's picture

Removing everyone who isn't there legally should take a lot of strain off the aquifers and the treasury...

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 19:53 | 5369952 discopimp
discopimp's picture

Yet somehow they still have the time to give me a speeding ticket...geeezzz

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 20:18 | 5370058 SmittyinLA
SmittyinLA's picture

Baloney, nearly all the marijuana grown in CA is grown in warehouses under artificial lights, so the environmental impact is much worse.

 

The real draw is the 10,000,000 illegal aliens

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 22:17 | 5370581 EBT excepted
EBT excepted's picture

d'Murphy was d'opt'mist too suckahs...

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 20:28 | 5370089 Hongcha
Hongcha's picture

They are looking for a reason or a cover to send in the alphabet agencies and fuck with the MJ growers.  

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 20:38 | 5370129 ThisIsBob
ThisIsBob's picture

Well, if I only had so much water and I could either water my grass or water my grass, I'd certainally water my grass.

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 21:12 | 5370273 bugs_
bugs_'s picture

will leftists give up their medical marijuana to save the planet?  Even if it only saves one child......

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 21:33 | 5370401 falconflight
falconflight's picture

This article is the only good news that I've read all day.  

Do NOT follow this link or you will be banned from the site!