Police: Cartels in Oregon are morphing their pot-growing ops

By ANDREW SELSKY
Associated Press

SALEM, Ore. (AP) — Law enforcement officials in Oregon say foreign drug cartels that established illegal outdoor marijuana farms last year are adapting as pressure on them begins to mount. The new challenges for law enforcement come as a task force created by the Legislature met for the first time to figure out how to combat cannabis-related problems. The Task Force on Cannabis-Derived Intoxicants and Illegal Cannabis Production is also responsible for recommending funding and command structure to enable law enforcement to combat illegal cannabis production, regulations on genetic engineering of cannabis and changes to state laws to address labor trafficking and water theft by the cartel-financed pot farms.