Marijuana In Washington & Flooding In Midwest

Marijuana In Washington & Flooding In Midwest plus Food Forethought. I'm Greg Martin with today's Northwest Report.

Ever since the public voted to approve recreational marijuana in Washington State last year there has been a legal battle going on. Now Washington State has announced new rules and public awareness efforts to keep marijuana out of the hands of those under 21 years old. Gov. Jay Inslee yesterday was joined by Attorney General Bob Ferguson, Liquor Control Board Chair Sharon Foster and other state agency leaders to say that from public service announcements and parent guides to new rules for packaging and labeling, that the effort is essential for public health and safety, and should reassure federal authorities that Washington state is implementing its marijuana market in the most responsible fashion possible.

The old saying "when it rains, it pours" is proving it in the Midwest states where heavy rains have been causing flooding problems for farmers according to USDA meteorologist, Mark Brusberg.

BRUSBERG: Those areas had more than 4 inches for the week and that's on top of 30-day totals that were approaching 20 inches in some areas. A lot of the flooding was limited to the tributaries going into the major rivers so we didn't have major river flooding but we did have lowland flooding in some areas and there's still ponding. What they'd like to see now is warmer and sunnier conditions obviously.

Now with today's Food Forethought, here's Lacy Gray.

My husband and I are fortunate to have a private upper deck where we can go to unwind after a long day. We have created a type of secret garden there where we have numerous herbs and flowering plants that provide much needed solace and beauty. We also have some rather tenacious wasps that are intent on building a nest in the northwest corner underneath the trailing Virginia Creeper and climbing roses. They have been nothing but persistent but my hubby and I both come from stubborn stock. We do realize though that these annoying little buggers also have a job to do. That's why in our battle to dissuade them from building we haven't used lethal methods. We don't want to stop them from doing the helpful jobs they do in the garden, like pollinating and attacking different host insects such as stinkbugs, wood boring beetles and aphids. We just want them to build their abode somewhere else. So, we will keep on keeping on with the vinegar sprayer and nest removal. In the meantime perhaps we can convince a helpful praying mantis, or some dragon flies, both enemies of wasps, to help us.

Thanks Lacy. That's today's Northwest Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.