Marijuana farmers blamed for water theft as drought grips American West
Extreme and prolonged drought in the American west is prompting water thieves to tap into other people’s scarce supplies. More than 12bn gallons of water have been stolen in California in the past eight years, according to state officials, but the issue has been further exacerbated by the ongoing drought and recent searing early summer heatwaves. A significant amount of recent water theft has been blamed by the authorities on illegal cannabis cultivation in some parts of the state.