You should try living a hour from the front lines of the war on the U.S./Mexico border. Some really hinkey stuff going on here. Mucho incentive to have that AR platform.
There is no US/Mexico border in CA. Most of the big grow operations are Cartel owned and ran. Though in the "emerald triangle" of Humbolt there are a number of communes and other people who grow commercially for the SF markets and West coast in general. I have caught people trying to start grows on my land and land that I help maintain, 90% are wanted felons from Mexico that I have to call in reinforcements (DEA, DFG, and Sheriffs) to deal with and the other 10% are locals that I know and kick the snot out of. The Cartel guys don't talk to you when you find them on your property, they run into the brush and then open up on you with whatever guns they have, mostly shotguns and .22LRs, but sometimes with real firepower. I don't know of anyone actually getting shot up, but I have been shot at a couple of times and I know a few other locals who have been shot at when they walked into a grow.