Drug gangs taking over US public lands

[509er]

the desert unit is full of grows during the summer

[woodywsu]

They have a reward for turning in grows, but the system is screwed. No money in it. I turned in 3 grows last year with 18,000 plants (one grow had 12,000). I didn't receive a lick of money for any of it due to insufficient funds. I'm all for cleaning up the area, but come on. Give a little incentive, do they think I like leading 6 guys into pot grows at night.

[woodswalker]

not just the desert units....I keep finding grows on the DNR lands over here...and the more gates locked...the more grows i find.  The gates closure makes it easier to hide as there are fewer folks about.  The DNR however will argue that open gates encourage it due to easy access.  I still think that is wrong on THAT issue...its true however on the dumping and vandalism/theft issues.  

There is SUPPOSED to be a reward for turning in grows...I have turned in 6 so far....I get told that the program has no money for rewards....  

Long range varminters indeed...a 300 WM is a GREAT long range varminter.....so is .338 Lapua Mag.  

Thwap...........boooom......end of story.

[Atroxus]

I don't know what the answer is, but maybe legalizing marijuana would send these guys home. Infuriating that these guys are trashing the wilderness. Not everyone in camo out there is a hunter.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100302/ap_on_re_us/us_drug_war_pot_farms

from the article above:
"Moyses Mesa Barajas had just arrived in eastern Washington state from the Mexican state of Michoacan when he was approached to work in a pot field. He was taken almost immediately to a massive crop hidden in the Wenatchee National Forest, where he managed the watering of the plants.
He was arrested in 2008 in a raid and sentenced to more than six years in federal prison. Several other men wearing camouflage fled before police could stop them."

The problems with illicit drugs that we are seeing now are just a repeat of what we saw with alcohol during prohibition. The fact that it's illegal creates a huge unregulated blackmarket with huge profit margins for those willing to take the risks involved in the drug trade. Isn't there a saying about the definition of insanity being to do the same thing over and over and expect different results?

In my opinion we should decriminalize drugs, and let the people that want to ruin their lives with them do so. Tax the crap out of them and put the money to good use. Take all the DEA agents and narcotics officers and reassign them to investigate all the open murder, rape, assault, and robbery cases in the nation. Let all of the non-violent, drug offenders out unless they are also incarcerated for other crimes such as robbery, that way we have plenty of room in our jails/prisons for the violent criminals and thieves. If someone is intent on ruining their own life with drugs and has children then a portion of that tax money could be used to take those children and place them in good homes.  

[bearpaw]

Atroxus I agree, we are wasting a ton of money for nothing, everybody of any age who wants drugs gets them anyway, whenevver they want them. All this drug resources could be used to control immigration or paying off the debt instead of trying to control drugs.

[corktex]

Did any body listen to Ron Paul,will any one ever hear the truth! He is a MD he knows more than he can say about this issue! Drugs and the drug debate,are just like guns and the gun debate! People with zero experience and knowledge about these things arguing with people who have knowledge and experience,about one inanimate object or another take your pick!