I think that Mr. Moberg fired his employees who fled the fire because they did not "want to deal" is indicative of bad employer. Employees do not have to stay directly in harm's way just to keep a weed farm safe. These former employees may have had families that thwarted to evacuate the area; that would be a legitimate reason to leave and not have to suffer being fired afterward. Those fired employees should be talking to the state department of labor.
Outdoor weed is not better! That's patently obvious to anyone who's smoked more than one bowl, and serves to discredit this guy's statements on other matters. I've had CannaSol weed, and it's on the low end of the recreational stuff: not very potent and tastes nasty. Now that I know that this year's crop is going to taste even worse from all the wildfires, there's even more reason to avoid it.
Speaking as someone who lives around a lot of rabbitbrush, @4, two-hour drives are a more-than-occasional choice for a little variation in the lunch menu :)
[Moberg] grew up in the nearby town of Moses Lake
Moses Lake is about 115 miles SSE from Okanogan, more than two hours drive.