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California not only leads the nation in pot production, but also in plant eradication. With the outdoor harvest over, the state's Department of Justice announced on Nov. 13 that 2.9 million cannabis plants were destroyed this year. That's an increase of 1.2 million plants since last year and a total increase of 1.8 million plants since 2005.
The seizures were conducted by CAMP - Campaign Against Marijuana Planting - a task force of local, state and federal agencies.
California Attorney General Jerry Brown stated: "When you're out there hiking in the country, the rural area of California, you don't expect to be confronted with some illegal person pointing an AK-47 at you."
He claimed that medical marijuana was not taken in any of the 472 raids. "This is one way of alleviating people's pain," the AG said. "Although I can tell you, having watched one of these marijuana clinics outside the Oakland police station, the people going in look rather young and vigorous on their way to pick up their material."
Ironically, Brown signed California's decrim bill into law when he was governor in 1975 and has admitted to using marijuana.
CAMP's pot-plant eradication county-by county:
1. Lake - 482,775
2. Humboldt - 271,056
3. Shasta - 270,728
4. Mendocino - 220,436
5. Tulare - 160,591
6. Santa Barbara - 132,439
7. Fresno - 131,356
8. Los Angeles - 127,239
9. Kern - 115,261
10. Tuolumne - 87,202
11. Santa Clara - 84,831
12. Sonoma - 82,636
13. Inyo - 75,003
14. Riverside - 74,229
15. Napa - 70,433
16. Trinity - 63,395
17. San Bernadino - 62,441
18. Siskiyou - 59,477
19. Monterey - 51,827
20. Madera - 37,652
21. Nevada - 37,401
22. Plumas - 31,632
23. Mariposa - 30,320
24. Butte - 24,682
25. El Dorado - 22,427
26. Merced - 17,543
27. Amador - 15,126
28. Santa Cruz - 10,518
29. Tehama - 10,312
30. San Luis Obispo - 10,238
31. Calveras - 9,907
32. Glenn - 7,572
33. San Benito - 5,117
34. Colusa - 4,930
35. Sierra - 2,786
36. Yolo - 1,625
37. San Mateo - 1,529
38. San Joaquin - 349
The state's remaining 20 counties were not reported.
CAMP's pot-plant seizures year-by-year:
1983 - 64,579
1984 - 158,493
1985 - 166,219
1986 - 117,277
1987 - 144,661
1988 - 107,297
1989 - 147,518
1990 - 79,441
1991 - 85,159
1992 - 92,388
1993 - 66,386
1994 - 82,694
1995 - 74,769
1996 - 94,221
1997 - 132,485
1998 - 135,960
1999 - 241,164
2000 - 345,207
2001 - 313,776
2002 - 354,202
2003 - 466,054
2004 - 621,315
2005 - 1,134,692
2006 - 1,675,681
2007 - 2,905,021
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