Listen: Radio Ads From America’s Pot-Growing Mecca


No place in America grows as much marijuana as Northern California’s Trinity, Mendocino, and Humboldt counties. Backcountry pot farming isn’t just a leading industry in the so-called Emerald Triangle; it’s pretty much the only industry. As I discovered on a recent road trip to investigate the environmental impacts of large-scale pot farming, nowhere is this more obvious than on the radio. Here’s a sampling of actual ads you’re likely to hear on the way to your neighbor’s bud-trimming party:

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In "It's Not a Crisis. This Is the New Normal," we explain, as matter-of-factly as we can, what exactly our finances look like, how brutal it is to sustain quality journalism right now, what makes Mother Jones different than most of the news out there, and why support from readers is the only thing that keeps us going. Despite the challenges, we're optimistic we can increase the share of online readers who decide to donate—starting with hitting an ambitious $300,000 goal in just three weeks to make sure we can finish our fiscal year break-even in the coming months.

Please learn more about how Mother Jones works and our 47-year history of doing nonprofit journalism that you don't elsewhere—and help us do it with a donation if you can. We've already cut expenses and hitting our online goal is critical right now.

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