Marijuana Farms Expose Spotted Owls to Rat Poison in Northwest California

Katherine E Kerlin — January 11, 2018 - 3:44pm

Wildlife species are being exposed to high levels of rat poison in northwest California, with illegal marijuana farms the most likely source point, according to a study led by the University of California, Davis, with the California Academy of Sciences.

The study, released Jan. 11 in the journal Avian Conservation and Ecology, showed that seven of the 10 northern spotted owls collected tested positive for rat poison, while 40 percent of 84 barred owls collected also tested positive for the poison.

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Marijuana Farms Expose Spotted Owls to Rat Poison in Northwest California