When the topic of the legalization of marijuana comes up most people think of how it will affect society, health and everyday life. What about the effects it is going to have on agriculture? Growing marijuana has a big impact on the land it is grown on, it effects living things around it, and it takes a lot of water and energy to produce. Marijuana is a big business that can bring in a lot of money to California, but also brings along many issues that can hurt our earth. There are many problems that come along with growing marijuana. Cannabis leaves a “footprint” on the land it is grown on says Jake Brenner from Department of Environmental Studies. This footprint consists of soil erosions, landslides, stream modifications and forest fragmentation. …show more content…
The already multibillion dollar production is only going to grow becoming worth so much more. As of 2017 marijuana was ranked California’s number one cash crop bringing in $26.6 billion dollars. Many people know that milk and cream are one of california's top commodities bring in $6.29 billion dollars, which does not compare to how much marijuana brings in now. Journalist Al Olson says, “It then assumed that each plant would produce one pound of pot at a market price of $1,765 a pound.” That one plant that takes 6 gallons of water a day is able to bring $1,765 of revenue. California is not the first state to legalize marijuana medically and recreationally states such as Washington, oregon and colorado have found success in growing this crop. Oxford Academic says “Colorado and Washington State both allocate their projected $67 million and $389 million tax revenues, respectively, from legal recreational marijuana sales to state funds supporting public health and education.” While bringing in more money from taxes, schools and medical care are able to get more funding. Marijuana is most dangerous to the earth when grown illegally, producers hide the fact they are doing it, but with the legalization of the crop environmental dangers will be somewhat decreased. With more people able to grow the amount of money this crop brings in is going to expand greatly. California “green rush” is extremely profitable and will bring in billions of