List of Figures
Figure 1. Crop harvested
prior to eradication efforts in Napa County, California, September 2006.
Figure 2. Hazardous electrical diversion
in an Elk Grove, California, indoor cannabis grow site.
Figure 3. Punji stick boards seized
from cannabis cultivation operations in Kentucky, 2006.
Figure 4. Toxic insecticide bottle found
at a cannabis cultivation operation in California, 2006.
Figure 5. Reservoir used in a cannabis
cultivation operation in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest in 2006.
List of Tables
Table 1. Primary Cultivators
in Leading Cannabis-Growing Areas
Table 2. Domestic Cannabis Eradication,
Outdoor and Indoor Plant Seizures, 2000-2006
Table 3. Outdoor Cannabis Plants Eradicated
in Primary Outdoor Production States, 2005-2006
Table 4. Indoor Cannabis Plants Eradicated
in Primary Indoor Production States, 2005-2006
Table 5. Total Cannabis Plants Eradicated
in Primary Production States, 2005-2006
Table 6. Top 10 National Forests for
Eradication of Cannabis Plants on National Forest System Lands, 2006
Table 7. Number of Cannabis Plants
Eradicated in Florida at Indoor and Outdoor Grow Sites, 2001-2006
Table 8. Estimated Number of Cannabis
Plants Not Eradicated, 2006
List of Tables in Appendix
A
Table 9. Number of Outdoor
Cannabis Plants Eradicated, Top 10 Counties in California, 2006
Table 10. Number of Indoor Cannabis Plants
Eradicated, Top 10 Counties in California, 2006
Table 11. Number of Outdoor Cannabis
Plants Eradicated, Top 10 Counties in Oregon, 2006
Table 12. Number of Indoor Cannabis Plants
Eradicated, Top 10 Counties in Oregon, 2006
Table 13. Number of Outdoor Cannabis
Plants Eradicated, Top 10 Counties in Washington, 2006
Table 14. Number of Indoor Cannabis Plants
Eradicated, Top 10 Counties in Washington, 2006
Table 15. Number of Outdoor Cannabis
Plants Eradicated, Top 10 Counties in Kentucky, 2006
Table 16. Number of Indoor Cannabis Plants
Eradicated, Top 10 Counties in Kentucky, 2006
Table 17. Number of Outdoor Cannabis
Plants Eradicated, Top 10 Counties in Tennessee, 2006
Table 18. Number of Outdoor Cannabis
Plants Eradicated, Top 10 Counties in West Virginia, 2006
Table 19. Number of Indoor Cannabis Plants
Eradicated, Top 5 Counties in West Virginia, 2006
List of Maps in Appendix B
Map 1. Cannabis Eradication
by State, Outdoor Plants Seized, 2006
Map 2. Cannabis Eradication by State, Indoor
Plants Seized, 2006.
Map 3. Cannabis Eradication by State, 2006.
Map 4. Outdoor Plants and Sites Seized in
Arizona, by County, 2006.
Map 5. Outdoor Plants and Sites Seized in
Arizona, by County, 2005.
Map 6. Domestic Cannabis Eradication, by
State and National Forest, 2006.
Map 7. Indoor Plants Seized in Florida,
by County, 2006.
Map 8. Outdoor Plants Seized in California,
by County, 2006.
Map 9. Outdoor Plants and Sites Seized in
California, by County, 2006.
Map 10. Outdoor Plants Seized in California,
by County, 2005.
Map 11. Indoor Plants Seized in California,
by County, 2006.
Map 12. Indoor Plants Seized in California,
by County, 2005.
Map 13. Outdoor Plants and Sites Seized
in Hawaii, by County, 2006.
Map 14. Outdoor Plants and Sites Seized
in Hawaii, by County, 2005.
Map 15. Indoor Plants Seized in Hawaii,
by County, 2006.
Map 16. Indoor Plants Seized in Hawaii,
by County, 2005.
Map 17. Outdoor Plants Seized in Oregon,
by County, 2006.
Map 18. Outdoor Plants Seized in Oregon,
by County, 2005.
Map 19. Indoor Plants Seized in Oregon,
by County, 2006.
Map 20. Indoor Plants Seized in Oregon,
by County, 2005.
Map 21. Outdoor Plants Seized in Washington,
by County, 2006.
Map 22. Outdoor Plants Seized in Washington,
by County, 2005.
Map 23. Indoor Plants Seized in Washington,
by County, 2006.
Map 24. Indoor Plants Seized in Washington,
by County, 2005.
Map 25. Outdoor Plants Seized in Kentucky,
by County, 2006.
Map 26. Outdoor Plants and Sites Seized
in Kentucky, by County, 2006.
Map 27. Outdoor Plants Seized in Kentucky,
by County, 2005.
Map 28. Outdoor Plants and Sites Seized
in Kentucky, by County, 2005.
Map 29. Indoor Plants Seized in Kentucky,
by County, 2006.
Map 30. Indoor Plants Seized in Kentucky,
by County, 2005.
Map 31. Outdoor Plants Seized in Tennessee,
by County, 2006.
Map 32. Outdoor Plants and Sites Seized
in Tennessee, by County, 2006.
Map 33. Outdoor Plants Seized in Tennessee,
by County, 2005.
Map 34. Outdoor Plants and Sites Seized
in Tennessee, by County, 2005.
Map 35. Indoor Plants Seized in Tennessee,
by County, 2005.
Map 36. Outdoor Plants Seized in West Virginia,
by County, 2006.
Map 37. Outdoor Plants and Sites Seized
in West Virginia, by County, 2006.
Map 38. Outdoor Plants Seized in West Virginia,
by County, 2005.
Map 39. Outdoor Plants and Sites Seized
in West Virginia, by County, 2005.
Map 40. Indoor Plants Seized in West Virginia,
by County, 2006.
Map 41. Indoor Plants Seized in West Virginia,
by County, 2005.
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The Domestic Cannabis Cultivation Assessment 2007
is a national-level strategic assessment of cannabis cultivation and
marijuana production in the United States. This assessment addresses
major trends in domestic cannabis cultivation, both indoor and outdoor,
with a focus on cannabis cultivation operations in primary areas of
production at the state and county levels. This assessment addresses
wide-ranging issues regarding cultivation operations, including planting
and harvesting seasons; use or presence of weapons, booby traps, and
counter-surveillance; resultant environmental damage; and the operational
trends of drug trafficking organizations and other criminal groups.
This assessment draws upon reporting and data provided by the Office
of National Drug Control Policy, the National Marijuana Initiative (see
text box), and numerous federal, state, and
local law enforcement agencies.
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National Marijuana Initiative
The National Marijuana Initiative (NMI), funded by the
Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), was established
in 2001 to coordinate federal, state, and local agencies
in areas that produce the largest amounts of marijuana in
order to significantly reduce cannabis cultivation. The
Initiative is specifically intended to foster partnerships
among agencies in states where DTO operations impact federal
lands. The NMI is designed to assist in the investigations
of DTOs operating in the seven primary cannabis cultivation
and marijuana production states (often referred to as the
M7 states): California, Hawaii, Kentucky, Oregon, Tennessee,
Washington, and West Virginia. The NMI supports law enforcement
efforts in identifying the infrastructure of marijuana DTOs
through expanded investigations and collection of intelligence
in an attempt to disrupt and eventually dismantle the organizations.
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To Top
To Contents
Key Judgments
-
Domestic cannabis cultivation has increased sharply
since 2000 as more drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) relocate
cannabis cultivation operations from Mexico and Canada to the United
States. These DTOs are relocating to reduce the risk of marijuana
seizure or loss during cross-border transport, gain direct access
to local drug markets, and achieve higher profit margins for domestically
produced marijuana, particularly higher-grade marijuana.
-
Domestic outdoor cannabis cultivation by Mexican
DTOs is most prevalent in remote and isolated areas of U.S. public
and private lands, primarily in California, Oregon, and Washington.
-
Mexican DTOs are expanding cannabis cultivation
operations eastward, including into some areas east of the Mississippi
River, such as North Carolina and Tennessee, in order to increase
their role in domestic marijuana distribution and to be closer to
eastern drug markets.
-
Many Mexican criminal groups that have established
grow sites in new areas of the country maintain direct contact and
affiliation with larger DTOs in California and Mexico and maintain
a level of coordination among operating areas, moving labor and
materials to the various sites--even across the country--as needed.
-
Indoor domestic cannabis cultivation is increasing
as criminal groups attempt to avoid intensified outdoor eradication,
reduce their risk of detection, and produce higher potency marijuana
to increase their profits.
-
Caucasian criminal groups are the predominant indoor
producers of marijuana in the country; they are particularly active
in the Appalachian Region.
-
Domestic cannabis cultivation by Asian DTOs at indoor
locations is increasing, a particular concern because many are well-organized,
Canada-based groups that produce and distribute high potency marijuana.
-
Violent incidents by outdoor cannabis growers against
law enforcement and the presence of weapons at outdoor grow sites
are increasing, most likely because of increased law enforcement
pressure and eradication.
-
Rising law enforcement pressure--although clearly
a concern to cultivators as evidenced by increasing violence and
weapons--has not yet stemmed the increase in domestic cannabis cultivation,
either outdoors or indoors. Rather, DTOs are simply adapting their
methods (relocating to new areas, changing their growing cycles,
and growing higher potency plants both indoors and outdoors) in
order to continue operating in the United States while maintaining
their profits.
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