Elon Musk Asked to Help Fight Illegal Cannabis Cultivation
The sheriff of Siskiyou County, California, Jeremiah LaRue, has reached out to entrepreneur and inventor Elon Musk for help in combating illegal cannabis cultivation. Law enforcement officials are struggling to keep up with the scale of illegal marijuana growing operations in the region.
Law Enforcement Overwhelmed by Cannabis Growers
The sheriff posted his plea for assistance on Twitter, highlighting the challenges faced by local police: “The problem is the scale of marijuana cultivation. It’s astronomical. Every week we conduct raids, but we don’t have enough time to investigate and shut down all the farms. As sheriff, I am responsible for the people and am doing everything I can. I just need help.”
So far, Musk has not responded to LaRue’s post, but the sheriff remains hopeful that the billionaire will engage in a dialogue. Before reaching out to Musk, LaRue had asked California Governor Gavin Newsom to declare a state of emergency in the county due to the overwhelming number of marijuana plantations. However, the governor declined to support the sheriff’s request.
Elon Musk’s Relationship with Marijuana
Elon Musk’s connection to marijuana became public in 2018 when he smoked a joint during a podcast with Joe Rogan. Musk later referenced marijuana culture again by offering to buy Tesla shares at $420 each, a nod to April 20th, the unofficial marijuana holiday. This year, Musk acquired a 9% stake in Twitter, becoming one of the social network’s largest shareholders. To celebrate, he joked about smoking marijuana during a Twitter board meeting. Given Musk’s attitude toward cannabis, it’s unlikely he will assist law enforcement in cracking down on marijuana growers.
Marijuana Production Continues to Surge
The sheriff sounded the alarm over the rapid increase in marijuana cultivation. Last year, Siskiyou County police destroyed about 39,000 cannabis plants and 13.6 tons of marijuana. This year, authorities have already burned over 100,000 plants and more than 16.8 tons of marijuana.
Commenting on the situation, LaRue said, “In recent years, the area of illegal marijuana crops has grown incredibly, and the annual turnover of marijuana has reached several billion dollars. As a result, the crime situation has worsened: there has been an increase in murders, property crimes, animal cruelty cases, and other violent offenses.”
Liberal Laws Fuel Cannabis Cultivation
The popularity of cannabis growing is largely due to California’s liberal laws. For example, even for large-scale illegal cultivation and distribution of marijuana, the maximum penalty is up to six months in jail and a fine of up to $500.