Friday, April 04, 2008

US Government using drones to track Marijuana growers

Photo from ABC News


The U.S. Forest Service has bought a pair of flying drones to track down marijuana growers operating in remote California woodlands.

Agriculture Undersecretary Mark Rey, who oversees the Forest Service, told The Associated Press on Thursday that the pilot less, camera-equipped aircraft will allow law enforcement officers to pinpoint marijuana fields and size up potential dangers before agents attempt arrests.

The purchase of the two SkySeer drones, for a combined $100,000, reflects rising interest in remote-controlled aircraft among law enforcement, science and other government agencies.



Wow...

First of all, the 10th Amendment states: "Powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people." So if California wants to legalize pot, they have every Constitutional right to! The Federal government has no right to step in and control what a State does, unfortunately it's something that happens all the time. I don't, nor will I ever, smoke Marijuana (or drink, for that matter) but I don't think that the government - especially the Federal government - should outlaw something just because I disagree with it.

And the larger issue here - does it bother anyone but me that the Government is so readily using remote tracking? It doesn't directly affect me now, because the Government doesn't consider me a lawbreaker. But is our Government incapable of making mistakes?

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