Good point. Rather unfortunate that we as cp enthusiasts actually support
the "black market" for these plants unintentionally. Where and to whom are
these illegally collected plants going to? If there was no market in cps,
then there wouldn't be a motive for "poachers" to illegally collect wild
plants. It is the same for other "rarities" such as elephant ivory, rhino
horns, bear gall bladders, drugs etc. If people are willing to pay
extravagant prices, then the risk of reprimand is outweighed by the
profit. I agree with Ken in that these plants should be made more
available, and with the ease of propagation of most of these plants, this
should not be too difficult of an endeavor.
Paul Burkhardt