WHEREAS, marijuana remains the most widely used illicit substance in the United States and Europe; and

WHEREAS, the U.S. Forest Service noted that, as of December 2011, marijuana cultivation sites in 67 national forests within 20 states had caused "severe" environmental damage, through growers terracing the land, causing erosion, and using liberal doses of chemicals, some of which are banned in the United States, contaminating ground water, polluting watersheds, killing fish and other wildlife, and eventually entering residential water sources, resulting in extensive and long-term damage to ecosystems; and

WHEREAS, a typical marijuana grow site operation in national forests is between 10 to 20 acres, costing the U.S. Forest Service approximately $15,000 per acre to clean up, re-establish streams and restore the land to its natural state; in California alone, as of December 2011, the U.S. Forest Service completed cleanup and restoration of 335 illegal marijuana grow sites that resulted in the removal of more than 130 tons of trash, 300 pounds of pesticides, five tons of fertilizer, and nearly 260 miles of irrigation piping; and

WHEREAS, according to the Office of National Drug Control Policy, marijuana grow sites are typically in excess of 1,000 plants per site and sometimes contain as many as 200,000 plants, with plants up to 12-15 feet high, often weighing over 150 pounds; and

WHEREAS, growers resort to violence against civilians and law enforcement officers to protect the sites, employing booby traps to deter law enforcement, including: rigging points of entry to cause electrical shock to anyone entering the grow area; setting up noxious compounds for release upon anyone's entry; strategically placing jars of nitric acid to spill on intruders; and rigging planks of wood and metal parts to detonate shotguns; and

WHEREAS, civilians residing near these grow operations have reported the presence of armed guards in watchtowers with confrontations between marijuana growers and legitimate farmers, and have observed dozens of individuals living in huts within the marijuana grows; and

WHEREAS, weapons are frequently found at outdoor marijuana cultivation sites and the presence of armed guards at marijuana grow sites has increased confrontations, including shootings between drug trafficking organizations, law enforcement and civilians; and

WHEREAS, in 2010, law enforcement authorities in California and Oregon reported at least 11 incidents of armed confrontations or officer-involved shootings with seven of these incidents resulting in the deaths of individuals who either aimed or fired their weapons at law enforcement officers; and

WHEREAS, violence continues to increase at marijuana grow sites. For example, in 2011, 12 homicides were related to marijuana cultivation in California, with six of those occurring on public lands and six related to the growing of marijuana under the pretext of supplying medicinal users; and

WHEREAS, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of California, there has been a corresponding increase in armed robberies, home invasions and violence in and near these grow sites, adversely impacting neighboring communities; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, that the International Association of Chiefs of Police, duly assembled at its 119th Annual Conference in San Diego, California, strongly condemns the increased violence against law enforcement officers and civilians and the severe environmental damage at marijuana grow sites; and, be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, that this information be used to increase public awareness concerning violence and environmental damage surrounding marijuana grow sites and to demonstrate the need for additional resources so that law enforcement officers may better protect themselves and the communities which they serve.

Submitted by: Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Committee

NDD.014.a12