BLOG: You're Crazy To Visit México! Part 2: US National Forests

US National Forests home to heavily guarded Mexican Drug Cartel marijuana grows.

Did you know that Mexican drugs cartels are slowly taking over US National Forests with their Marijuana Grows? How about that Minnesota's national forests are considered some of the top resources for Marijuana Grows?

Imagine this, instead of that trip to that beautiful Mexican tropical paradise Acapulco, you choose to take your family to the Chippewa National Forest in Wisconsin. You did this because of fears of the violence in the Acapulco area of Mexico. But instead of the peace and tranquility you expected in Northern Wisconsin, you and your family stumble upon a heavily guarded marijuana grow while out on a hike.

It seems as México clamps down on marijuana growing and drug cartels in their country and the US increases enforcement of trafficking across our borders, the cartels just don't go home, instead they are bringing their operations to the US, and on our public lands.

This short, little blog emphasizes that places here in the US are nearly as unsafe as traveling to parts of México. Yet, travel warnings about such areas here in the US are not as well know, if at all. The point? When traveling, here, in México or other countries, a heads up approach to potential threats is best. Be aware and be safe.

To me the real sad part, outside of the potential for violence, is the destruction that this is causing to our National Forests and Preserves. Much of the blame can be associated with the domestic pot smoker. The cartels are not growing this to export, but to transport and sell internally in the US. Take away the demand, the potential violence and destruction to our forests goes too.

I don't have any real answers to this issue. I simply blogged about it to prove a point, that visiting some of our pristine national forests can be just as dangerous, if not more so than visiting parts of México that are considered so dangerous to visits. With some basic precaution you will be safe in either venue. So, go enjoy México as I am.

The articles and videos listed as resources tell the story much better than I do, so take a few minutes and review them.

To read my full on-going blog on my trip to México follow my full blog on blogger.com: http://uruapa.blogspot.com/

Resources:

• NY Daily News: http://articles.nydailynews.com/2011-12-12/news/30509583_1_pot-growers-n...
• Life Science - Pot Growers Destroying National Forests: http://www.livescience.com/17417-marijuana-growers-national-forests.html
• FBI - Large Marijuana Grow Operation on U.S. Forest Land Eradicated: http://www.fbi.gov/milwaukee/press-releases/2011/large-marijuana-grow-op...
• Ashland Current - Public Lands On Pot: Marijuana Grows Tough On Mother Nature: http://www.ashlandcurrent.com/article/11/09/17/public-lands-pot-marijuan... 
• Merced Sun/Start - Three Mexican nationals ensnared in national forest marijuana grow cases: http://www.mercedsunstar.com/2012/03/26/v-print/2284325/three-mexican-na...
• CNN - Drug Cartels Grow Marijuana on Public Land: http://youtu.be/J-6LQEMlwCA
• KCRA TV - Elite Teams Hunt Illegal Marijuana Operations: http://youtu.be/mWpfTLPEy0o
• CNN - America Lost: Mexican Gangs Over-Run National Forests: http://youtu.be/uEBDQaQDBRg