cannabisnews.com: Mom of Three Heads State's War on Pot Farmers










  Mom of Three Heads State's War on Pot Farmers

Posted by FoM on December 17, 2001 at 07:16:58 PT
By Dion Nissenbaum, Mercury News Sacramento Bureau 
Source: San Jose Mercury News 

She has been dubbed the ``Patton of Pot,'' California's street-smart commander of the state's war against marijuana. A former San Jose police officer and a mother of three, Sonya Barna works on the front line in the long-running battle, hovering in helicopters, hiking through forests and hunkering down in a sparse Sacramento office.Barna heads California's Campaign Against Marijuana Planting, the state's 18-year effort to shut down the multibillion-dollar industry. 
With the pot season over, the state plans to announce Tuesday at a press conference in San Jose a near-record year: CAMP pulled up nearly 314,000 plants worth about $1.25 billion.Despite that success, Barna is steering her $655,000-a-year program through treacherous political terrain. Its budget has been dramatically cut since its early days, forcing CAMP to scale back the number of anti-drug SWAT teams it can field from seven to three. And California voters put the operation in an awkward position when they approved Proposition 215, forcing Barna to balance her mission to eradicate marijuana production with the state's desire to allow medical patients to use pot to ease their ailments.While other drugs, such as crack and heroin, are largely stigmatized in the media and in society, marijuana remains for many hip, trendy, cool.As Barna sees it, a crucial part of her job is to change that, to help redefine marijuana as a potent drug that can damage your memory, sap your ambition and push you down a slide into aimless obscurity. ``Someday, I hope that kids will look at marijuana in the same light that they now look at cocaine,'' she said.Barna is intimately familiar with the personal challenges facing children and parents.During one of her regular searches of her oldest son's room four years ago, Barna discovered a pot pipe in the 17-year-old's room. She sat her son down for a serious talk and he put drug use behind him, Barna said.But Barna is sympathetic to the goals of Proposition 215, the 1996 initiative that gave Californians the right to use pot to combat ills from AIDS and cancer to arthritis and migraines. Balancing Act ``If someone is dying of cancer and a marijuana cigarette helps them, one plant that they might have or that their caregiver might have is one thing,'' Barna said. ``Really, who is that hurting?''Attorney General Bill Lockyer, who is Barna's boss, has been working to honor the intent of Proposition 215 and still crack down on people who grow pot for profit.The task of deciding what's what falls to Barna.To Barna, Proposition 215 did more than create a way for people with AIDS and cancer to use pot to ease their pain; it opened the door for drug cartels to expand their operations.Barna has directed her teams to focus on the big scores, not the small growers who may be tending to a few plants. That she leaves for local law enforcement.Dennis Peron, who helped put the initiative on the ballot and has a farm in Clear Lake where he has grown pot for patients, supports targeting growers ``in it for greed and money.''But he sees Barna as a lonely soldier making a last stand.``The war is over,'' Peron said. ``Marijuana will be legalized in my lifetime.''Barna, who took over as operations commander of the CAMP operation last year, has been fighting in California's drug war her whole adult life. In 1984, Barna, the daughter of a migrant worker, was a summer recruit waxing vans and doing drudge work for CAMP officers. Soon, she was working undercover in a Central Valley high school, posing for eight months as a student drug dealer.She went on to work the streets of East San Jose and met her main mentor: Tom Wheatley, who is now an assistant police chief.Wheatley describes Barna as confident and relaxed, an officer with a knack for winning the confidences of criminals and reeling them in. ``One of the biggest failings of undercover cops -- and where you lose them -- is that they start taking themselves way too seriously,'' Wheatley said. ``She is so down to earth; I don't think it ever got to her.''Within a few years, Barna moved over to the state Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement's San Jose office. There she set up one of her most audacious busts. While working undercover, she persuaded a suspect to pack a truck with all the chemicals and equipment needed to set up a methamphetamine lab and drive it to a meeting point, which was actually the drug team's office. The guy even brought along a bucket of nearly finished speed, she said. Coordinates Raids  In 1999, Barna returned to CAMP and renewed her focus on marijuana.Barna's principal role is to assemble the anti-pot teams and lead raids. CAMP has a skeleton crew and draws officers from across the state for raids. Since 1983, the teams have destroyed more than 2.6 million plants -- about $9 billion worth. Although it is impossible to know what kind of a crimp CAMP puts in the illegal economy, even some growers like Peron admit that raids drive up prices.In the male-dominated profession, Barna is an anomaly. She is a foot shorter than many of her colleagues, wears bright nail polish in the field and loves to joke with her staff. Her sparse office features photos of Barna and her officers on raids with fake Rastafarian caps and dreadlocks.Earlier this year, Barna launched the CAMP season in Monterey County by leading a team across some of Big Sur's more rugged terrain, a sweltering canyon of manzanita and oak a short crow's flight from the jagged coast. Dressed in fatigues, armed with machetes and coated in poison-oak protection, 16 officers trudged, puffed and hacked their way toward a fledgling pot field in the Los Padres National Forest.Black tubing from an uphill stream shunted water to the plants. The land was cluttered with trash -- cigarette packs, old rifle shells, rat traps meant to scare off deer, soda cans. The team cut down more than 600 plants. A helicopter hovered overhead as Barna and her crew clipped a cargo net full of 3-foot-tall marijuana plants to a dangling rope.The raids, which often involve helicopters sweeping low in search of the striking emerald-green plants, have their critics in marijuana-friendly parts of California. Many view Barna and the program a lot like the owners of speakeasies viewed Elliot Ness and his anti-alcohol teams during Prohibition. Program Value Doubted  ``They're terrorizing citizens,'' said Marie Mills, a lead organizer of the Civil Liberties Monitoring Project, a group in pot-rich Humboldt County that keeps tabs on CAMP. ``I don't see it as a valuable service and what they do get is not even touching the tip of the iceberg.''While most people think of California's North Coast as the epicenter for the pot war, CAMP has been turning its attention to other parts of the state. In recent years, state agents have been pulling far more plants from Fresno and Kern counties than Humboldt and Mendocino.The state has seen a rise in the number of pot farms overseen by Asian families in the Central Valley. The illegal plants are often tucked amid the bok choy, corn and bitter melon.Pot plots take a toll on the state's forests. Growers use more than fertilizer to raise their crops. They use potent chemicals that pollute nearby streams and rivers.``I bet the people who are tending these gardens don't even smoke it,'' Barna said. ``They know what pesticides they're putting on there.''Barna also frets about the growing violence. Last year in the foothills near Sacramento, a father and his 8-year-old son were deer-hunting on their property and were shot and seriously wounded when they stumbled upon a pot garden. ``Should you really have to worry about getting your head shot off because you suddenly stumbled on a trail where they're guarding it?'' she asked.Note: Cutting-Edge Cop: Ex-S.J. officer compares marijuana for profit to cocaine.Source: San Jose Mercury News (CA) Author: Dion Nissenbaum, Mercury News Sacramento Bureau Published: Sunday, December 16, 2001 Copyright: 2001 San Jose Mercury News Contact: letters sjmercury.com Website: http://www.sjmercury.com/Related Articles & Web Sites:Marijuana.orghttp://www.marijuana.org/Civil Liberties Monitoring Project http://www.civilliberties.org/Patton of Pot - 60 Minutes IIhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread8656.shtmlHow Green is The Crop?http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread11568.shtml

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Comment #14 posted by krutch on December 18, 2001 at 10:57:25 PT:
Sonya Barna is My Hero
What a gal.My favorite quote from her is:``Should you really have to worry about getting your head shot off because you suddenly stumbled on a trail where they're guarding it?''No, you should not have to worry about that at all. MJ should be legal. If it was legal you would have an equal chance of getting shot stumbling onto a garden of tomatos. It would be just another commodity.But stupid people like my hero can't make a living being productive. They are better at destroying peoples' lives for commiting victimless crimes. If we made it legal what would all of the stupid people do?
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Comment #13 posted by aocp on December 17, 2001 at 19:26:07 PT
parallels
With the pot season over, the state plans to announce Tuesday at a press conference in San Jose a near-record year: CAMP pulled up nearly 314,000 plants worth about $1.25 billion.Despite that success...A similar form of success would be a War on Beaches. Just think of it! "With the sifting season over, the state plans to announce Tuesday at a press conference in San Jose a near-record year: BLITHERINGMORONS grabbed nearly 50 gazillion handfuls of sand worth about whatever they say they're worth. Despite this noteable success..."Dan B noted astutely Yoda's wisdom. Here's some more: "Do or do not. There is no try." This woman is not doing and is not NOT doing! Apparently, just trying is success for her and worth all the BS inbetween. How sad.
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Comment #12 posted by FoM on December 17, 2001 at 16:22:07 PT
Sandino 
Thank You! It really is nice to read how Todd is doing. He is one tough guy. He will survive and make a big difference with his attitude. Freedom many times is our own state of mind if this makes sense. We can be free in the middle of the worst storm of our life. It's hard for me to explain but I know how I feel. Thanks Again!
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Comment #11 posted by Sandino on December 17, 2001 at 16:05:34 PT:
"A Letter From Todd"
Today, I received a letter dated 12/10/01 from Todd McCormick and I would like to share it with you.Thanks for the story about Renee's marrage. (I sent him a printed copy of the artical that was posted here with the comments) Sounds beautiful. Wish I was there. So much of life moves on like a movie I'm no longer part of. It sucks!- oh well, I'll catch up sometime.
Sorry, I don't write more. I try to let time go as easily as I can, I feel like I'm "hard timing" when I try to answer every letter. At first I tried to, but now I just let it go.
I'm working on my business plans and trying to figure out exactly how I'm going to go about doing exactly what I want to do. As they say: "sucess is in the details." and also "It's not often that our plans fail, it's that often we fail to plan." I'm living by that rule right now.
Also I'm trying to use this time wisely and not let it do me. I see guys in here going crazy, not me! Still, 
it's hard on me, this is no place to find ones self. 
I hope the world is treating you well.
Thank you for your support!
It's very much appericated.
Peace, Hope & Hempyness
Todd
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Comment #10 posted by FoM on December 17, 2001 at 12:48:44 PT
How can we return to normal?
They say that we should return to normal. OK that sounds good but how when we are bombarded with war information? That doesn't make any sense. Turning the news off is a sad way to have to find peace from tv news. There is so much more happening in the world. I can't imagine how it will be if we have to watch this for years to come. People will start snapping. Our economy is a mess because our financial strength is built upon things that aren't worth what the stocks go for. What would it take to liquidate a company? That is what it should be worth in the stock market in my opinion. Our financial structure is one big pyramid scheme that a few get rich but most lose in my opinion.Thanks Null!
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Comment #9 posted by null on December 17, 2001 at 12:30:04 PT
great lyric
"And the news is just another show
with sex & violence"Jane's Addiction "Nothings Shocking"The news is so slickly produced these days. They have production values akin to Monday Night Football. the logos all fly in. The graphics zip around the screen. The Daily Show on Comedy Central had a hilarious bit where they took the Fox news logo and replaced the music. They jokingly said Fox was aiming the expand their market with news for the kids. anyway, they put this zany barbie-commercial-eque music under the logo instead of the normal Wagnerian funeral march. Made a brilliant point about just how constructed the reporting of the news is these days. Yellow journalism has given way to Technicolor Journalism. I also agree with you FoM that I think lots of people are just sick of watching the news and TV and hearing about a) The War b) the Recession. As I have said before, Bush Sr. won the Gulf War and lost re-election due to the recession. GW Bush will get the boot in 2004. Especially since he lost the popular vote last time.
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Comment #8 posted by FoM on December 17, 2001 at 12:05:42 PT
Internet News
I heard a long time ago that over 60 percent of people get their news on line. I know I don't have CNN etc. on very much anymore. I'd like to turn the news on and see something besides following every step of this war. It doesn't do me any good to be reminded over and over and over again that we are in a war. I got it! I'm sure others feel the same way. Hey anybody found poor Chandra yet? I'm not being disrespectful just sarcastic. Haven't found bin Laden yet either. And the news spins on and on and on! I feel better now.
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Comment #7 posted by TroutMask on December 17, 2001 at 11:49:24 PT
Right on!
I agree with Lehder.IF the WTC attacks had not happened and brought about the "War on Terrorism" (for which any president would likely have won public support), can anyone think of anything positive President Shrub has done since taking office?I can't.The further away we get from 11/11/01, the less popular Shrub will be.-TM
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Comment #6 posted by Lehder on December 17, 2001 at 10:37:51 PT
wanted dead or alive
By the way, does anyone else find it odd that just as the feds are cracking down on cannabis in any form, medical, industrial or otherwise, at the same time the major networks are now allowed to carry advertisements for hard liquor?According to a Peter Jennings report last week, liquor advertising is being resumed because the national broadcasters are growing desperate for revenue: fewer people are watching TV. And more people are realizing that TV news is BS. That's good news. More good news: Bush's approval rating has dropped from 88% to 81%. I can hardly wait to see him and Rumsfeld indicted for their war crimes, subject to arrest in 99 countries, and unable to land a plane anywhere but Texas.
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Comment #5 posted by Dan B on December 17, 2001 at 09:51:58 PT:
On Curiosity and Freedom
Don't let this Barna wench get you down. Her mentality is only wholesome to those who crave blood and misery. Many will hail her as a great warrior (as Yoda once said, "Wars to not make one great"), but many more will likely see what she does and want to steer clear of the policies she upholds. Still others will become curious about those policies and actually do a little research.One thing about the so-called war-on-terrorism, it sure has gotten a lot of people to check out the news. And more than ever are getting their news from independent sources.Recent reports are showing a shift in public opinion regarding a number of terrorism-related policies. Check out "American Indicators" at Undernews for a great (and short) article on that very thing: http://www.prorev.com/indexa.htm#topI believe that this shift will continue, and before the Bush administration's first four years are up, Americans will want him out of office. But I believe that something more important than anti-Bushism has emerged--something of which anti-Bushism is a symptom: people in this country are finally beginning to inform themselves. This bodes well for the drug policy reform movement. As more people become aware of the devastation caused by our current drug policies, more will begin to realize that the only sane way out of the hell we've created for ourselves is legalization and regulation (like alcohol or tobacco-- By the way, does anyone else find it odd that just as the feds are cracking down on cannabis in any form, medical, industrial or otherwise, at the same time the major networks are now allowed to carry advertisements for hard liquor?). Let's keep on talking to the people around us. I have found that especially now people are willing to listen to reason with regard to the way people treat other people in this country. Ask someone you know if it makes sense to arrest a person for eating a health food bar made with hemp seed, or if it is justifiable to arrest sick and dying people because the only thing that seems to give them relief from their symptoms is cannabis. Most would say that such arrests are at best ridiculous. That's an opening, and we can use that opening to enlighten.When we get people interested in one aspect of an issue, an interesting thing often happens: the curiosity is sparked. That's how it happened with me, anyway. It started with an curiosity about cannabis laws when I ran across Richard Cowan's Marijuana News site, but I soon became interested in the environment, politics, the antiwar movement, the labor movement, economics, human rights, current events, etc. If it happened to me, it can happen to your friends and family, too.Curious people become informed people, and informed people make better decisions. The reason why people are shifting away from Bush is that they understand how poor his decisions have been. And they have that understanding because they have become curious. I predict a healthy upsurge in curiosity in the coming months. People want to know what we are talking about.Finally, I say all of the above because I believe that it is not too late to do something about the state of America and the world. The only way for the people to regain power in America is for the people to assert the power to which they are already entitled by the Constitution. Practice the Constitution. Buy a gun if you want one, practice your religion openly if you want to, say what you want to say, gather where you want to gather. Demand justice, but also demand liberty. America is a free country waiting to happen. And it will happen, as soon as we the people begin to stand up for ourselves.Dan B
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Comment #4 posted by FoM on December 17, 2001 at 09:21:32 PT

 How much money does she makes?
Just curious as to how much money she makes. Would she do it for no money because she hates marijuana and because she believes it's the right thing to do? I don't think so!
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Comment #3 posted by Sam Adams on December 17, 2001 at 09:13:43 PT

Patton of Pot?
Didn't Patton fight against armed, trained, military soldiers, at great risk to himself and his men? This woman is fighting plants. Also, didn't Patton WIN his war?Future generations will look back on this woman (if she is even remembered for one minute after it's legalized) as a crazed zealot, similar to the town Proctor of the Salem Witch trials. Or the "Temperance" ladies of Victorian times. A laughingstock of history.  In fact, I'd be laughing now if it wasn't my federal tax dollars paying for this circus. 
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Comment #2 posted by greenfox on December 17, 2001 at 07:47:57 PT

War, war, war!
Dennis Peron, who helped put the initiative on the ballot and has a farm in Clear Lake where he has grown pot for patients, supports targeting growers ``in it for greed and money.''But he sees Barna as a lonely soldier making a last stand.``The war is over,'' Peron said. ``Marijuana will be legalized in my lifetime.''Amazing, if you think about it. And you know what? He's probably right. Although I don't think it's going to happen for at LEAST 10 years given the current "commander in chief" (LOL!)Oh well cheers from the garden, 
-gf
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Comment #1 posted by Dark Star on December 17, 2001 at 07:35:11 PT

The War Goes On
As if this were not enough, there will be a dog and pony show by the Anti's in Vancouver May 1-3:http://www.marijuananews.com/news.php3?sid=485andhttp://www.ideas-canada.org/Take a look at their experts. Few have any pertinent academic training to be commenting on drugs. The ones that do have an obvious conflict of interest in that their employment is as Drug Warriors. I hope that all within striking distance will appear, anti-nauseants on-board, to dissent from the lies and propaganda that will be spewed.
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