EPA Sounds the Alarm Over Illegal Pesticides, Marijuana in California

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Above: Illegal pesticides imported from China seized at illegal marijuana operations in California. (Photo Credit: KCRTV)

News outlets report Siskiyou County in California has declared a local emergency due to toxins from illegal pesticides used at illegal marijuana grow sites.

EPA officials say the crisis is “part of an international criminal enterprise” and that some of the illegal pesticides imported from China are the same chemicals used as “nerve gas agents in warfare” that can attack a person’s respiratory and nervous systems.

Even after legalization, California still struggles with a black market dominated by international drug cartels.

The DOJ has said organized crime from Mexico and China may be making millions of dollars from illegal marijuana in California, Maine, New York, Massachusetts, and elsewhere.

Besides being a criminal enterprise, these illicit marijuana operations often pollute the environment and jeopardize public health.

Authorities in states like California, Maine, and Oregon routinely seize illegal pesticides at massive marijuana grow sites.

Unfortunately, marijuana products often carry serious health risks from pesticides — even when they are manufactured legally.

The marijuana plant itself easily absorbs toxins in the soil as well as chemicals or other substances sprayed on the plant. As a result, marijuana may contain pesticides, heavy metals, mold, or other contaminants.

These toxins are passed along into marijuana products — posing serious health risks for marijuana users.

Last year the Wall Street Journal reported that studies have found marijuana users have higher levels of heavy metals in their blood and are more likely to develop fungal infections. These toxins can cause serious — or even life-threatening — illnesses.

Research continues to underscore that marijuana is dangerous.

Researchers have found marijuana users are twice as likely to die from heart disease.

Heavy marijuana use has been linked to psychosis — especially among young men.

All of this underscores what we have said for years, marijuana may be many things, but “harmless” simply is not one of them.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

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Situation in California Underscores Legalization Did Not Stop Illicit Marijuana

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Stories out of California continue to underscore how legalization has not stopped illicit marijuana.

Last week state officials announced law enforcement seized $476 million worth of illegal marijuana from April to June of this year.

Photos reveal many of these illegal marijuana sites are enormous, operating on an industrial scale.

However, legal marijuana operations in California are also under investigation.

The Washington Stand reports that last week, raids at two marijuana farms owned by Glass House Farms in California “led to the arrest of over 300 illegal aliens, including children.” The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has indicated the situation looks like “potential exploitation, forced labor and human trafficking.”

The problems extend beyond California.

The FBI recently announced charges against seven Chinese nationals for their alleged roles in a multimillion-dollar marijuana scheme that involved money laundering, drug smuggling, and human trafficking.

Oklahoma has legalized marijuana, but in June, Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond announced his Organized Crime Task Force seized nearly 41,000 illegal marijuana plants and more than 1,000 pounds of processed marijuana in a single sting operation. Drummond indicated “Chinese crime syndicates and Mexican drug cartels” are behind the illegal marijuana.

We have written time and again how marijuana’s legalization has actually emboldened drug cartels and organized crime who profit from marijuana.

Some of these illegal marijuana operations are tied to labor trafficking, violent crime, and foreign adversaries like the Chinese Communist Party.

Authorities in Arkansas routinely confiscate illegal marijuana grown in other states. Arkansas State Police patrol a “drug pipeline” along Interstate 40 from Oklahoma to Tennessee.

All of this simply further underscores how marijuana may be many things, but “harmless” simply is not one of them.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

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Arkansas A.G. Makes it Clear: If You’re Selling Drugs Made From Hemp, You’re Breaking the Law

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Last week Arkansas’ Deputy Attorney General Alexandra Benton testified before the House Rules Committee about a federal court ruling that effectively lets the state enforce its laws against dangerous drugs made from hemp.

In 2018, Congress passed the federal Farm Bill legalizing cannabis plants low in THC for use in textiles like hemp rope or cloth. THC is the main psychoactive substance in marijuana, and health experts warn the drug poses serious risks.

Instead of using hemp for textiles, manufacturers have found ways to extract and refine the small amount of THC in the plants. By doing this on a commercial scale, they can produce a lot of THC to infuse into drinks, candies, e-cigarettes, and other products.

As a result, state and federal policymakers have pushed back against these dangerous drugs.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has said that federal law prohibits hemp-derived THC in food products, and states like Massachusetts, South Dakota, and California have prohibited THC made from hemp.

In 2023, Arkansas passed Act 629 by Sen. Tyler Dees (R – Siloam Springs) and Rep. Jimmy Gazaway (R – Paragould) to prohibit THC made from industrial hemp. Family Council supported that good law, and the legislature passed it. Unfortunately, Act 629 spent nearly two years tied up in court, but in June the Eighth Circuit issued a decision letting the state enforce this good law.

During her committee testimony last week, Deputy Attorney General Benton highlighted important facts the federal court found regarding Act 629:

  • Act 629 prohibiting drugs made from hemp does not violate the federal Farm Bill.
  • Act 629 is written very clearly. The law is not vague.
  • Just because states may legalize hemp does not mean that states are required to legalize it.

Deputy Attorney General Benton told lawmakers, “We have — and continue to be — on solid ground on this issue.” She noted that since 2023, the A.G.’s office has been vocal about the dangers posed by drugs made from hemp.

She also said point-blank that anyone selling drugs made from hemp is violating state law.

THC has been linked to everything from heart disease and cancer to stroke, mental illness, and birth defects.

The Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission recently tested 51 samples of industrial hemp flowers as part of the commission’s “Operation Clean Leaf” initiative. All 51 samples contained more THC than federal law allows, and authorities said the vast majority of hemp products were sold without proper age verification. Some were even tainted with dangerous pesticides.

Public health data across America has shown drugs like the ones made from hemp have sent kids to the emergency room and prompted parents to call poison control centers.

We appreciate Arkansas’ lawmakers and Attorney General’s office working tirelessly to protect Arkansans from these dangerous drugs. The drugs may be many things, but “harmless” simply is not one of them.

You can watch the Deputy Attorney General’s entire testimony here.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

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