The corrupt and inept DEA should be abolished and dunmped into the dustbin of history. Started by ‘Tricky Dick’ Nixon, to harrass his enemies, it has sacrificed countless people to lenghthy prison sentences, but for what. The following is a narrative of the DEA’s attempt to eradicate feral hemp, or ‘ditch weed’, wasting the taxpayers money foolishly.
The DEA’s attempt to eradicate ditch weed, also known as feral hemp, has been a long and costly endeavor. Ditch weed refers to wild, scattered cannabis plants, often found along roadsides and in ditches, particularly in the Midwest. These plants are descendants of industrial hemp crops that were once widely grown in the U.S. until they became illegal in the 1950s.
The DEA initiated the Domestic Cannabis Eradication/Suppression Program (DCE/SP) in 1979, and it was adopted by all states by 1985. This program aimed to eradicate all forms of cannabis, including ditch weed. However, a significant portion of the plants eradicated under this program turned out to be non-intoxicating feral hemp with very low THC levels, essentially industrial hemp. In 2014, for instance, the DCE/SP claimed responsibility for eradicating over 3.9 million cultivated outdoor cannabis plants, many of which were likely ditch weed.
The cost of this program has been substantial. In one year alone, the program cost approximately $18 million, and over the years, the DEA has spent at least $175 million on these eradication efforts. Despite these efforts, feral hemp is still commonly found in many parts of the U.S., leading to questions about the effectiveness and economic sense of the program. In fact, it’s reported that about 99% of the cannabis destroyed in the program was feral marijuana, which has negligible THC content and is not used for recreational or medical purposes.
Given the growing acceptance and legalization of hemp following the 2018 Farm Bill, which legalized industrial hemp, there have been calls to cut funding for the eradication program. Critics argue that the program wastes resources on destroying harmless plants that have little to no public safety or health risks. Additionally, the presence of feral hemp raises questions within the burgeoning hemp industry, such as its potential for breeding or the risk of cross-pollination with CBD-rich hemp varieties.
In summary, the DEA’s attempt to eradicate ditch weed has been extensive and costly, with much of the effort targeting plants that are essentially harmless and non-intoxicating. As attitudes and laws around cannabis and hemp continue to evolve, the future of such eradication programs remains in question.
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