cannabisnews.com: Making a Big Deal of Destroying a Pot Farm Making a Big Deal of Destroying a Pot Farm Posted by FoM on September 02, 2001 at 08:52:52 PT By Dana Parsons Source: Los Angeles Times I first developed a dislike for marijuana after being assigned as a young reporter to an all-night police stakeout at some dude's farmhouse in Colorado. The point is, I'm a guy who needs his sleep and being awake at 3 a.m. to watch the bust go down wasn't my idea of time well spent.But because people are most likely to be home then--and least likely to expect cops to come bursting through the front door--that's when it was done. After the adrenaline rush from the raid subsided (about 30 seconds), we went out to the barn to inspect the haul. Being a twentysomething kid from Nebraska, I was shocked--shocked, I tell you--at what I saw: giant clumps of marijuana hanging from the ceiling. It was enough pot for three Grateful Dead concerts. It's too long ago to remember the size of the stash; maybe several hundred pounds and with an astronomical street value for those days. If memory serves, the cops said they'd made a huge dent in the local pot-smoking and distribution business.Twenty-some years later, my anti-marijuana stance has eased. It's not that I love the stuff; I just don't give it much thought. Accordingly, the Colorado marijuana raid now seems as old-fashioned as the feds raiding the gambling operation in "The Sting."But lo and behold, Orange County deputies were on the case last week, traipsing through the woods after being tipped off to the existence of a large marijuana farm in the Cleveland National Forest.I'll bet they were thrilled to get that assignment, knowing the public's fervent desire to have pot eradicated in our lifetime.The Times reported that more than a dozen deputies hiked three hours through "thick stands of beaver tail cactus and live oak" before coming upon the farm and its 2,000 marijuana plants.One can only imagine their exhilaration at the moment of discovery. Not the same as Indiana Jones hacking through the jungle before coming upon a lost treasure perhaps, but who can say?Anyway, the deputies hacked away with axes and chain saws and eventually leveled the place. The Sheriff's Department hasn't linked anyone to the pot operation, but a spokesman estimated its street value at $3 million.Nobody in law enforcement in this day and age is going to make a big deal out of taking $3 million worth of pot out of play--or, at least, they shouldn't. You know why: Not even the public cares that much anymore.Courts typically handle marijuana arrests with the same verve they apply to jaywalking. The maximum penalty for possessing less than an ounce of pot is a fine of $100.That apparently suits Californians of all stripes just fine.Voters in 1996 approved the use of marijuana for medical purposes--although local authorities haven't embraced it and the U.S. Supreme Court recently all but invalidated it.Last year, California voters spoke again with Proposition 36, which mandated treatment instead of incarceration for many drug offenders. It enjoyed almost across-the-board support.Last week's raid will have about as much effect on drug use as removing a handful of twenties from a multimillion-dollar counterfeiting operation.The fault lies not with the deputies. It's still illegal to grow marijuana, so I suppose they had to dash out there after being tipped off.But let's not kid ourselves and equate it with taking one more murderer or some cocaine kingpin off the streets.It is what it is: an exercise in futility. The deputies got a good workout, and that's about it.Believe it or not, that raid in the late '70s didn't kill the marijuana business in northern Colorado. It just cost us all a night's sleep.Nor will last week's raid stem reefer madness in Orange County.Which makes me wonder if, just like me on the moonlight raid way back when, the deputies last week privately wondered if their trek through the forest was time well spent.Dana Parsons' column appears Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Readers may reach Parsons by calling at (714) 966-7821; by writing to him at The Times' Orange County edition, 1375 Sunflower Ave., Costa Mesa, CA 92626; or by e-mail to: dana.parsons latimes.comComplete Title: Reefer Madness: Making a Big Deal of Destroying a Pot FarmSource: Los Angeles Times (CA)Author: Dana ParsonsPublished: September 2, 2001Copyright: 2001 Los Angeles TimesContact: letters latimes.comWebsite: http://www.latimes.com/Related Articles:Marijuana Farm Nearly Invisible on Terraced Slope http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread10783.shtmlA Mega Marijuana Farm http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread10774.shtml END SNIP --> Snipped Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #8 posted by ZAPATO on September 03, 2001 at 00:00:24 PT: EL TORO PUPU - THE DIET OF THE MASSES! IN THE 19TH CENTURY THE NATURE LOVING, PEACE LOVING NATIVE AMERICANS LEARNED ABOUT "MANIFEST DESTINY",AND AFTER STEALING THEIR LANDS, THE HOLY, GOOD AND JUST RELEGATED THEM TO THEIR RIGHTFUL PLACE ON THE RESERVATIONS.TODAY THEIR DECENDENTS (SPIRITUAL), ARE RELEGATING NATURELOVING, PEACE LOVING GANJA USERS TO THEIR RIGHTIOUSLYBEQUETHED CELLS IN AMERICA'S PRISONS.THE INQUISITORS AND PHARASEES- MUST FEED THEIR FORM OF LUST AND PASSION- AND THE BEAT GOES ON.WHATS IT ALL ABOUT? $$$$$$$$!CORPRATE AMERICA, THE PHARMACITICAL COMPANIES, THE LIQUOR AND BEER CORPRATE LOBIES NOT TO MENTION THE PRISON GUARD UNIONS, AND LAW INFORCEMENT LOBBIES THAT FEED OF THEIR INJUSTICE TO THEIR FELLOW MAN. ETC.DON'T WANT GANJA LEGALIZED! CAN"T FIND A WAY TO MAKE A BUCK, ITS JUST A SIMPLE FLOWER ISN'T IT?IN 1930'S IT BECAME OBVIOUS, TO OUR LOBBY DRIVEN CONGRESS THAT HEMP A SIMPLE PLANT SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO COMPETE WITH THE CHEMICAL AND PLASTIC CORPORATIONS WHO CAME CALLING WITH THEIR BAGS OF MONEY. EXAMPLE OF THE REALITIES OF AMERICAN POLITICS.TOO MUCH TO ASK THE AMERICAN PEOPLE TO WISE UP! IT'S NOT THEIR NATURE TO DO SO. PEACE,Z [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by J.R. Bob Dobbs on September 02, 2001 at 15:35:20 PT Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder This line really bugged me:>>After the adrenaline rush from the raid subsided (about 30 seconds) Yeah, maybe for you and the swine patrol. I'll bet whoever was rousted out of bed didn't get over it nearly as easily... [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by FoM on September 02, 2001 at 13:28:06 PT Shhhh! LOL! Shhhh dddd,don't tell anyone...lolI'm just kidding but I sure like the one question. Drug control is a sham; it's time for legalization Sounds like it could be nice to put on a shirt. We need lots of mottos. [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by dddd on September 02, 2001 at 13:08:20 PT FoM,,,,,I'm Shocked!!! ...Shame on you for suggesting this double poll vote mischeif!.....no,,I'm just kidding,,,,compared to the underhanded tacticsof the antis and drugpigs,,a few extra votes is quite innocentmischeif,and fairplay......heck,,if we had anywhere near thereasources they have,the ONDCP would not exsist,and the DEAwould be involved in prosecuting such people as the makers ofRitalin,for deceptive and wreckless promotion of their snake-oildrugs to many thousands of kids,,whose only problems werethe normal symptoms of growing up,and incompetant parentswith more money than brains,or time....dddd [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by FoM on September 02, 2001 at 11:23:29 PT Good Poll! I like the choice of answers too. If you delete your cookies and reload your page you can vote again. Don't tell anyone though! LOL!PS: I hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday weekend too! We are!ECSTASY Should the drug Ecstasy be illegal? Total Votes = 606 Yes - absolutely (213) 35% No, I don't believe it's dangerous (45) 7% All illegal drugs should remain illegal (47) 8% Drug control is a sham; it's time for legalization (301) 50% [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by lookinside on September 02, 2001 at 11:04:35 PT: me too... i like the choice of answers.. [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by Lehder on September 02, 2001 at 11:00:47 PT well, I just voted in the poll, FoM, and at the top of the Denver Post, the headlines right beside the poll - a crowd of sports fans driven to frenzy by drinking booze in the stadium parking lot. man-o-man, are they ever gonna get the message? [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by FoM on September 02, 2001 at 10:36:40 PT Should the drug Ecstasy be illegal? - Poll ECSTASY Should the drug Ecstasy be illegal? http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1002,53,00.htmlCurrent Results:Total Votes = 592 Yes - absolutely (212) 36% No, I don't believe it's dangerous (45) 8% All illegal drugs should remain illegal (47) 8% Drug control is a sham; it's time for legalization (288) 49% [ Post Comment ] Post Comment