A state of emergency has been declared in an area in the US state of Oregon due to the increase in the number and size of illegal marijuana farms.
Members of the Jackson County Board of Commissioners said citizens had been warned that illegal marijuana production in the area poses a threat to public health and safety.
Expressing that they called for help to the Governorship and Legislative Assembly leaders regarding the issue, the members of the board noted that a state of emergency was declared in the region. They sent a letter to Governor Kate Brown, Senate Speaker Peter Courtney, and Speaker of the House of Representatives Tina Kotek. The members of the board said, “We request your help in addressing the situation in the Jackson district.”
The letter noted that numerous violations related to the production or processing of marijuana were recorded in the region this year.
‘While our state is in drought…’
“Oregon is not open to the growth of illegal marijuana businesses. These are criminal organizations that deplete water resources when our state is in a drought, keep the workforce in inhumane conditions, and severely damage our legal cannabis market,” said Charles Boyle, spokesman for Governor Brown.
The Oregon Health Department reported that about 50 percent of registered cannabis farms inspected in the state grow illegal marijuana, and their THC content (the compound that gives cannabis its highest level) is above legal limits.
