Mexican soldiers discover 43-acre marijuana farm in north

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexican soldiers found a 43-acre (17.4-hectare) marijuana farm in the northern border state of Chihuahua, the army said Sunday.

The army said the fields were capable of producing about 11 tons (22,000 kilograms) of marijuana. The fields were found in a rural township not far from the town of Creel, in Mexico’s Copper Canyon area.

While Mexico’s Supreme Court ordered the government in June to issue permits for the personal use of marijuana and for the growing of limited amounts of pot plants, growing on this large scale remains illegal.

Soldiers chopped down the tall marijuana plants and burned them, the army said.