LESTER HOLT, anchor:
When it comes to
marijuana
and
California
, many people think of
San Francisco
and the northern part of the state, perhaps harking back to the days of the counterculture. But today
Southern California
's become a hub for
marijuana
growth and distribution.
NBC
's
Kristen Welker
has our story.
KRISTEN WELKER reporting:
Less than a half-hour drive from
downtown Los Angeles
, this 650,000-acre
Angeles National Forest
is as beautiful as it is dense. But hidden among the trees, elaborate and illegal
marijuana
farms -- the work, authorities say, of Mexican
drug cartels
. We hiked up the face of this mountain with the
LA County
sheriff's narcotics bureau to get a firsthand look.
Unidentified Man #1:
This is what we have to do, not just only take the plants, but all the garbage they bring in here. All the things that these criminals bring into our
national forest
.
WELKER:
Last year the county seized $1.4 billion worth of illegally grown pot on public land, more than anywhere else in the country. The work is tough and dangerous.
Unidentified Man #2:
We've found ammunition. We've found bear traps. We've found, you know, holes dug in the ground with spikes in them.
WELKER:
One of the biggest surprises: In the middle of these
marijuana
plants there's a campground. People tending the plants actually live here, and there are enough supplies for a few months, including food and water. But
marijuana
is a complicated issue in
California
. The state approved use of the drug for medicinal purposes in
1996
, and this fall voters will decide whether to legalize it for recreational use.
Mr. BEAU KILMER (Rand Corporation):
What's being proposed in
California
really is unique. No country in the world is the production and distribution of
marijuana
legal for general use.
WELKER:
And just this week the city of
Oakland
approved four industrial-sized
marijuana
factory farms, hoping to cash in on a burgeoning industry. But even if
California
voters legalize the drug, it will remain a crime under federal law. If
California
does legalize recreational use of
marijuana
, your job still continues.
Man #1:
Still continues because it's still -- here in our
national forest
, it's illegal.
WELKER:
And until voters have their say, the drug's future remains up in the air. Kristen Welker, NBC News,
Angeles National Forest
.
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