California Marijuana Industry Urged to Protect Wildlife
In the wake of a citizen vote last year allowing personal production and use of recreational marijuana, California officials are required to create strict environmental measures to keep the expanding industry from hurting people and wildlife — but their draft rules and plan leave dangerous loopholes for pesticides, rodenticides, water and excessive energy use.
So the Center and allies this week called for stronger protections for imperiled Pacific fishers, spotted owls, salmon and other rare wildlife.
"Some growers have already eliminated unnecessary poisons to control rodents and are taking steps to conserve water and energy, but the state has to make sure that all growers are behaving responsibly," said Jonathan Evans, our environmental health legal director.
Read more in our press release.