By Rajesh Mirchandani BBC News, California California spends a countless amount of money each year fighting its illegal marijuana trade. But can legalizing the drug in the state be the answer to its woes? The helicopter hovers above steep brush-covered slopes of a remote canyon in southern California. We are on a raid, tracking America's biggest cash crop - marijuana. The pilot, an LA County Sheriff's deputy, points out agents below searching through dry undergrowth. The terrain, the Angeles National Forest, is so difficult that they had to be lowered in from the air. The forest is a protected wilderness area, less than two hours from Los Angeles. But it is also remote enough to offer a good hiding place. Authorities say organised crime gangs, including Mexican drug cartels, are increasingly using inaccessible, often publicly-owned land like this to grow huge amounts of marijuana. It's an industry estimated to be worth around $35bn (£22bn) a year in the US, and no other crop comes close. Illegal growers profit, while taxpayers fund eradication exercises like this. Ground teams pull up plants they find for later destruction. But Captain Ralph Ornelas, from the Bureau of Narcotics at LA County Sheriff's Department, admits they recover "maybe 1-5%" of illicit plants. A 'hippy haven' Now many argue legalising marijuana might be a more effective weapon in taking control of this lucrative trade out of the hands of criminals. In northern California, the majestic redwood forests of Mendocino County are part of an area known as the Emerald Triangle, a long-time hippie haven and centre of cannabis cultivation. The distinct sweet smell wafts into the car as we pull off Highway 101 by a handmade sign depicting a UFO. We are in Area 101, a spiritual retreat and focal point for local marijuana growers. In a peaceful glade there are a few wooden buildings and a statue of the Hindu elephant god Ganesh adorned with garlands. A peace sign made of fairy lights also hangs between two trees. Children play, adults rake leaves. Tim Blake runs Area 101 and a collective of growers lobbying for legitimacy. He leads us deeper into the forest, through two heavy steel gates, to a clearing where, behind wire mesh, a neat plantation of marijuana plants is being watered, tended and pruned. They are broad and up to 10ft (3m) high. The distinctive four-pronged leaves are a healthy green, while the buds are spongy and thistle-like. In a few weeks, it will be harvest time, Mr Blake says. As we walk through the field, Mr Blake points out the indica and sattiva varieties, which produce different effects. He talks of his crop as a farmer might discuss apples or grapes. Except a pound of cannabis would cost you upwards of $1,500 (£947). Wine industry rival To the south of us lie the Napa Valley vineyards, which produce a great deal of wealth for California. Mr Blake dreams of a legitimate marijuana industry that could one day rival wine. "Basically, this is the most expensive boutique crop in the world, and up until now it's gotten very little of the acclaim or acknowledgement for it," he says. "[Growers are] tired of being in the shadows, they want to be able to voice their opinions, they want to come out and be good Americans," he adds. In a few weeks California's voters will be asked to decide if it should be legal to grow small amounts of marijuana for personal use. Latest opinion polls suggest a close race. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger does not support the measure, but he recently downgraded possession from a misdemeanour to an infraction, the lowest level of offence under state law. Adults caught with an ounce of marijuana will get a $100 (£63) ticket but no criminal record. It's a money-saving measure in a state reeling from the recession and slashing services to make ends meet. "In this time of drastic budget cuts, prosecutors, defence attorneys, law enforcement and the courts cannot afford to expend limited resources prosecuting a crime that carries the same punishment as a traffic ticket," Mr Schwarzenegger said. The proposition to legalise marijuana is also driven by money. The bill would allow local authorities to licence growth and tax sales.