Marijuana Making Comeback in Appalachia

While it had been on the decline in recent years, marijuana confiscation is on the rise in Appalachia, the Associated Press reports.

West Virginia is the fifth-largest producer of marijuana in the country, behind California, Washington, Kentucky and Tennessee. The amount of marijuana plants taken by police in Appalachia fell from 1.2 million in 2003 to 700,000 in 2007. But in 2008 it was back up to 1 million.

Why? The economy.

"The economy or lack of economy has always driven the marijuana trade," said one federal official. "It is still the cash cow as far as illicit drugs. It offers the greatest return on investment.

And it's not only Appalachia. The New England state of Maine, not known for its marijuana production, this week seized what the Bangor Daily News called the largest "pot plantation" ever seen in the Pine Tree State.

The plantation has an estimated $10 million or more value -- with $2,000 per plant as a guide -- and was found by Maine law enforcement thanks to a tip on its Web site and an aerial search.