Minnesota has by far the largest acreage of wild grass of any state in the nation, U.S. Bureau of Narcotics figures show.

Last year county weed inspectors reported that they had discovered 1,723 acres of Cannabis in the state. To the inspectors it’s “just another weed”.

This spring an inspector attended a town meeting in a small Minnesota community. “Did you know you have marijuana growing in the town?” he asked.

The members looked shocked and demanded to know where he had seen it. He led the group outside and pointed out a group of tall, leafy plants flourishing in the shelter of city hall.

The plant is on the state’s list of noxious weeds and attempts to destroy it are made whenever it is found. An agent for the bureau said he has no idea why Minnesota ranks at the top of the marijuana destruction list.

“During World War II,” he said, “the federal government sponsored a number of hemp factories in the state for war use.”

An officer of the Minneapolis police nark squad said the domestic crop causes no concern to police officers. “The good stuff, the stuff we smoke up, comes from Mexico or Panama.”

Climate, he said, determines whether grass is good or bad, and the Minnesota weather does not produce good pot.

California, on the other hand...