UKIAH, California - Law enforcement officials said Friday they struck a major blow against illegal marijuana cultivation on public lands in the heart of Northern California pot country.
The two-week operation to purge the Mendocino National Forest of illicit pot gardens uprooted 460,000 pot plants and led to more than 100 arrests, U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag said.
About 1,500 pounds (680 kilograms) of processed marijuana, 27 guns and 11 vehicles were also seized.
The 900,000-acre (364,225-hectare) forest — larger than Rhode Island — spans six counties in a region of mountains and forests known as the Emerald Triangle for its high concentration of pot farms. Agents raided more than 50 gardens teeming with trash, irrigation pipes and chemicals that damage forestland and waterways, authorities said.
"The Mendocino National Forest is under attack by drug traffickers," Haag said.
The operation was part of an annual summer effort to eradicate marijuana from public lands across the state. Six sheriff's departments, the state anti-narcotics bureau and at least a half-dozen federal agencies took part in the effort in the forest.
Spearheading the raids was Mendocino County Sheriff Tom Allman, who in his years on the job has had to balance county medical marijuana ordinances with state law and the complete federal ban on the drug. Allman said none of the gardens busted showed any sign of being used to grow medical marijuana.
4 comments:
just legalize it already. Whats your thoughts on this issue Joe.
Now that is a waste of law enforcement money.
The war on drugs in over.They lost years ago.
They can't legalize it. Even after 40 years of the War on Drugs, they STILL think they got a shot at beating the immutable Law of Suppy and Demand. Thats how stupid they are. Further, what would we do with 750,000 (a LOW estimate) armed men (police) who's greatest talent is beating people up, kicking down doors (so we shot the wrong people at the wrong address, no biggie) and bragging about their effects on the market. They have NO effect. None. Thats a fact. Just wasting billions playing macho boy with a badge.
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