This California desert town is experiencing a marijuana boom

[KamaAina]

http://www.latimes.com/local/la-me-marijuana-cultivation-20160510-story.html

As the first city in Southern California to legalize large-scale medical marijuana cultivation, Desert Hot Springs has been inundated by marijuana growers and developers. They are buying up dusty desert land — some with no utilities or roads — in hopes of cashing in as California's marijuana growers come into the open under new state regulations.

"It's pretty chaotic," said Coachella Valley real estate broker Marc Robinson. "I'm getting tons of calls from all over the world, all over the United States. My newest clients flew over from Germany."

Despite a sizable need for new infrastructure to support the indoor growing projects, the rush has officials in this downtrodden town dreaming of new income.

"I can only imagine what we can do with the tax revenue," Mayor Scott Matas said. "We're in need of parks, our roads are dilapidated. All around — our sidewalks, curbs, gutters."

[CentralCoaster]

1. What about water?

Jeese, we don't have a lot of the wet stuff anywhere in the state...

Hope they do OK, but hope that they use water very wisely, too.

Maybe indoor grows can minimize the water problem.

[KamaAina]

2. There is a surprising amount of groundwater underneath the Mojave Desert

the Southwest had a wet period a few centuries ago, during which the Anasazi civilization flourished farther east.

Who knows? This might open the door to other non-thirsty crops out there.

[Lordquinton]

3. Then it dried up and the Anasazi collapsed

I can think of few worse places to start any kind of farming boom than the desert. Maybe they'll get Desalinization up and running.