Siberians to be fined for not destroying wild cannabis in time

Authorities of the south Siberian republic of Buryatia said on Thursday they would take action against those dragging out their campaign to eradicate huge areas of wild growing cannabis. The government obliged municipal governments and land owners to destroy the cannabis on their territory by August 15. "If we fail to cut the cannabis in time, it will drop seeds... meaning it will grow again at the same place next year, and that money and efforts were wasted," government official Alexander Khankhashanov said. Less than two weeks before the deadline expires, almost 980 hectares, or 30% of all areas with cannabis, remain to be destroyed. Legal entities will be fined some $1,000 or more if they fail to cut and burn the cannabis growing on their territory before it drops seeds.