Drones are getting legal aid to help them discover illegal growth in California

A House committee supports federal efforts to track down illegal crops on public land in California. This will become a reality when cybersecurity and domestic manufacturing issues can be resolved so the drones can fully serve their mission.

While drones searching for grows aren’t a new idea, the language is a different this year as newly discovered grows have drawn more attention to how many cannabis farms on public land can pop up under the radar.

“The committee is aware that intruders are illegally growing marijuana on public land in California,” the report said. “These illegal activities are harmful to the public, water, soil and wildlife. The committee supports the efforts of the forest service to develop tools for the detection and elimination of cultivation areas. “

The committee also supports the Home Office’s use of drones to conduct nationwide remote sensing surveys of federal public land to identify growing areas and enable cost estimates to be developed for reclamation after concerns about cybersecurity, technology and domestic production are raised. “Addressed,” she added.

So far, the report doesn’t go into cybersecurity issues, including technology and domestic manufacturing, but over the past year, China-made drones have been left on the ground because of the risk they pose to cybersecurity and US security in general.

The committee may now be trying to source drones that are made in the US as they are used to monitor legal cannabis operations near public land and illegal cannabis operations on public land. Growing communities like the one in Humboldt County could be hit by the drones as they border state so their rights need to be considered too.

Drones as a new technology

It is currently unclear what exactly will happen to this legislation, but the language of drones is new to this report and has not surfaced in recent years. It is also different from past fiscal years as it focuses on California. Reports have mentioned other states such as Kentucky as well.

Some of the key players behind this legislation are Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-ME), Chair of the Appropriations Interior & Environment Subcommittee, and Rep. Dave Joyce (R-OH), a senior panel member and co-chair of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus . So far, none has been available for comment.

In general, the committee seeks to control “illegal activities with harmful effects on the public, water, soil and wildlife”.

The report also fails to address the US Department of Agriculture’s Inspector General, who complained back in 2018 that the Forest Service was not doing its part in cleaning up illegal growing areas after they completed the destruction of the crops they discovered. This can pose a threat to wildlife and create conditions that would trigger forest fires.

This year the House of Representatives is working to fund laws in support of many bills that contain provisions on cannabis. Some of them are like this bill that aims to limit and eradicate illegal cultivation while others are more regulation and legislative in mind.

Last week the chamber approved a transportation bill that included a provision allowing researchers access to cannabis from pharmacies in states where cannabis is legal. This will help investigate driving disorders so strategies can be devised to actually identify heavy driving compared to someone who has used cannabis in the last month or so.

In addition, some spending bills were passed last week addressing cannabis policy issues, with an emphasis on immigration, cannabis fitness, military veterans in the industry, and other legal cannabis considerations. Other bills have been approved dealing with banking for cannabis deals, cannabis use by federal employees, and recreational cannabis in Washington, DC