Marijuana: The Drought-Tolerant Plant
By: There is apparently one plant that can thrive in the worst drought in half a century.
Marijuana.
While covering the drought's impact on the cornbelt in Iowa, I discovered cannabis growing along roadside farmland. Here's a picture of one healthy plant I saw pulled up by it's deep, healthy roots and tossed aside in central Iowa. (Related: The Drought of 2012.)
"It grows all over," a farmer told me. "Police want us to pull it up and destroy it."
Marijuana is not legal for any reason in Iowa.
Funny business indeed.
The pot is often referred to as "Iowa ditchweed", and those in the know claim anyone trying to smoke it will get more of a headache than a high. Here's a YouTube video of a guy who made his own roadside discovery.
One farmer told me some growers hide the plants inside corn fields, which might make for some interesting corn.
"A whole new meaning of 'Field of Dreams'," tweeted @myaverageworld.
Welcome to Hiowa!
Now if only they could make ethanol out of it.
—By CNBC's Jane Wells
@janewells
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