Post from October 3, 2022
(Washington, D.C.) – Congressmen Doug LaMalfa (CA-01) and Scott Peters (CA-52) introduced legislation to combat the use of banned pesticides on illegal cannabis cultivation sites on public land. The Targeting and Offsetting Existing Illegal Contaminants (TOXIC) Act remedies the environmental damage caused by banned pesticides to public lands and raises criminal penalties for those who illegally grow marijuana on federal property using banned pesticides.
As California and other areas of the U.S. see the emergence of illegal cannabis cultivation sites on public lands, investigations show that growers frequently use banned pesticides to protect their crops. For buyers, consuming even small amounts of cannabis exposed to these banned pesticides could potentially be deadly.
“Illegal marijuana grows have brought dangerous cartels into our rural towns, terrorizing residents and decimating our landscape. The banned pesticides they use on their product seep into the soil and watershed, poisoning wildlife and endangering residents who inadvertently consume it. Everyone; outdoor enthusiasts, nearby residents on their own land, wildlife, Forest Service and law enforcement personnel are all at risk. The TOXIC Act is necessary to criminalize those who cause damage to our public land with banned chemicals and helps remedy the environmental impacts,” said Rep. LaMalfa.
“While those who grow illegal cannabis often work with drug cartels seeking wealth and influence, our wildlife, habitats and public health pay the price,” said Rep. Peters. “The damage from these extremely dangerous and illegal pesticides harms our watersheds, endangered species like pacific fishers and spotted owls, Forest Service agents, and consumers. The TOXIC Act will direct the federal government to use all available resources to fix the harm caused by banned pesticides smuggled across our southern border.”
This bill will:
- Authorize $250M over five years for the Forest Service to use Superfund toxic waste remediation authorities to address environmental damages caused by the release of banned pesticides on federal lands for cannabis cultivation; and
- Raise the criminal penalties for using banned pesticides in illegal cannabis cultivation to maximums of 20 years in prison and $250K in criminal fines to establish parity with the criminal penalties for smuggling banned pesticides into the US. The US Sentencing Commission would then be required to review and update its sentencing guidelines for these crimes.
Congressman Doug LaMalfa is a lifelong farmer representing California’s First Congressional District, including Butte, Glenn, Lassen, Modoc, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou and Tehama Counties.
Original source can be found here.
