These furry creatures that are part of the weasel family could be endangered in part due to marijuana.
Humboldt martens are small, bushy-tailed creatures, and their diet is based on chipmunks, birds and insects, fruits and reptiles. There are fewer than 200 of them in California, and an estimated fewer than 100 in Oregon.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife recommends that martens should be on a list of threatened or endangered species, which will be considered by the California Game and Fish Commission. Humboldt’s martens are currently seen as a kind of concern.
Six conservation groups are also asking Oregon to protect animals under the Endangered Species Act.
The habitats of Humboldt martens are endangered by all kinds of threats: logging, forest fires, urbanization, climate change, diseases, exposure to toxins and marijuana crops, according to a report released this month by the Department of Fish and Wildlife. Of California.
The forests are being cleared for the cultivation of marijuana, coinciding with the California state laws that legalized its use, which is affecting the habitat of these animals. Northern California counties, where the Humboldt martens live, have become popular for both legal and illegal marijuana planting, due to their remoteness and water sources.
Her habitat is affected by several factors that are leading her to extinction.“It is unknown to what extent land clearing for legal and illegal cannabis cultivation will contribute to the future loss and degradation of the Humboldt Marten habitat,” the report says.
Another major concern is the use of toxic pesticides to grow marijuana, including some that are banned in the United States. Pesticides are known to cause the death of Humboldt’s martens, the report says.