Major marijuana plantations began to spring up beginning in the early 1980s. Earlier plantations were usually located in remote mountain areas where they were hard to spot and irrigation did not require drilling wells. Yields were relatively low, quality varied, and transportation was expensive.
In the early 1980s, marijuana cultivation began expanding rapidly.  Prior operations were often found in secluded mountain areas, where they were hard to find and did not require extensive water wells. Production yields were relatively low, with varying quality, and transport was costly.