H umboldt County has been an epicenter of cannabis cultivation for decades, and an element of social division has characterized the region: the "back-to-the-landers" versus the born-and-raised locals, the "hippies" versus the "rednecks," and the pot growers versus the loggers and ranchers (Leeper 1990). However, as cannabis cultivation has been decriminalized in California, the social dynamics around cannabis have become more complex. Over the last 20 years, new growers from different parts of California, the United States and even outside the United States have moved to Humboldt County and surrounding areas to grow cannabis-a so-called green rush of growers hoping to strike it rich (Corva 2014). Growers have come from a host of countries beyond the United States, including Bulgaria, Russia, Mexico and nations in Southeast Asia (William Honsal, Humboldt County sheriff, personal communication; unreferenced). Some work independently while others work together in operations that may qualify as more organized. For many Humboldt County residents-"mom-and-pop" cannabis growers and more traditional agricultural producers alike-the near-exponential growth of the industry has been a shock, and it has unleashed numerous social, economic and environmental concerns.

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