Marijuana growing has long been a way of life in Humboldt County, especially in recent years as timber and fishing jobs have disappeared along California's North Coast.

Now some residents worry that their way of life is being threatened - not by law enforcement, but by efforts to legalize marijuana in the state.

Community members are gathering Tuesday night to consider the consequences. They worry about the ripple effect that a drop in marijuana prices could have on the county as a whole if legalization undermines the black market.

"We have to recognize that if we have something that is this big a piece of our economy that is subsidized by being illegal, that this is an unsustainable situation," Humboldt County Supervisor Mark Lovelace said.

washingtonpost.com
sfgate.com
msnbc.msn.com
newsok.com