cannabisnews.com: Federal Government Interested in Valley Marijuana 





Federal Government Interested in Valley Marijuana 
Posted by CN Staff on October 11, 2003 at 10:07:23 PT
By Heidi Rowley, Staff Writer 
Source: Tulare Advance-Register
Sequoia National Park -- Marijuana gardens being planted on state and federal lands is not a simple problem. Multiple agencies spend thousands of hours each year eradicating and then investigating the drug cartels that planted the gardens. And even then, the agencies can't say whether they are making progress. "That's a difficult question to answer," said Richard Martin, superintendent of Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Parks.
In 2002, 37 gardens and more than 54,000 plants were eradicated from the park. In 2001, Martin said park employees found "just a couple of small plantings." "There may have been more," he said. So far this year, fewer plants have been found, but Martin credits that to the two additional personnel hired specifically to scout out for suspicious activity, he said. On Friday, Martin welcomed three congressmen, including Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Visalia, to talk about the marijuana problem on public lands and the narcotics issue in the Central Valley. "Part of this is helping us refine how we want to tackle the marijuana issues," Rep. Mark Souder, R-Indiana, said. Souder is chairman of the Subcommittee on Criminal Justice, Drug Policy and Human Re-sources. Rep. Doug Ose, R-Sacramento, chairman of the Subcommittee on Energy Policy, Natural Resources and Regulatory Affairs, also directed the meeting in the Sequoia National Park during which the three lawmakers questioned representatives from local, state and federal law enforcement agencies. The Wilderness Watch group -- not the Sierra Club or Greenpeace -- was the only environmental group that had a position or knew enough about the effects of marijuana gardens on natural resources to send a representative, Ose said. Joe Fontaine, who represented Wilderness Watch, said he is concerned that water is being diverted to feed the marijuana gardens and is affecting the wild plants and habitats of the animals living in the mountains. Fontaine is also concerned that the chemicals and waste will eventually affect the Valley's water supply, he said.  Lack of communication Souder said one of the biggest issues to come out of the hearing was local law enforcement's difficulty finding those involved in marijuana and methamphetamine distribution and production because of a lack of communication with the U.S. Border Patrol. Tulare County Sheriff Bill Wittman said fingerprints are often recovered from evidence left at marijuana camps or on meth waste dump sites. But his department only has access to fingerprints of people the Sheriff's Department has previously arrested, Wittman said. Souder did not know that local law enforcement didn't have access to the Border Patrol fingerprint database. "The [Border Patrol] issue will be dealt with right away," he said. Complete Title: Federal Government Interested in Valley Marijuana IssuesSource: Tulare Advance-Register (CA)Author: Heidi Rowley, Staff Writer Published: Saturday, October 11, 2003Copyright: 2003 Tulare Advance-RegisterWebsite: http://www.tulareadvanceregister.com/Contact: http://www.tulareadvanceregister.com/customerservice/contactus.htmlRelated Articles:Wild West: Drug Cartels Thrive in National Parkhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread16579.shtmlMexican Druglords Grow Pot in Calif. Parks http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread16513.shtmlMarijuana Found Thriving in Forests http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14764.shtmlPolice See Pot Growing Turning Into Big Business http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14603.shtml 
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Comment #4 posted by FoM on October 11, 2003 at 20:16:26 PT
Woo Woo Woo Virgil
All that in one system! I remember when I saw the little icon in the top corner of IE move the first time. I also couldn't believe I had a color monitor and that I could see pictures. We are only talking in late 96. How far technology has come in such a short time. It's amazing to me. PS: I don't have a DVD burner but I have one to make CDs which has been fun. I plan on taking the best of Neil Young's music from CDs I have and making one or more for us of the songs we really like. We had a friend from out of state visit this summer and I said I wanted him to hear something. I turned it up loud. It was the words in front of One Toke Over The Line. I think I scared him! LOL!
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Comment #3 posted by Virgil on October 11, 2003 at 20:00:08 PT
Running the informational blockade
The development of alternative media is going to be big in getting real news without the Fantasyland Five. Microsoft introduced a new product that will launch a new wave of sales as people will have digital FM/tv tuners and record television on hard drives in addition to traditional computer uses.From http://www.atnewyork.com/news/article.php/3085501 - Windows XP Media Center, which debuted last year, targets users who want desktop OS standbys, plus digital TV, personal video recorder, music, photo and video content tools.
DVD burners are down to $135
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Comment #2 posted by Virgil on October 11, 2003 at 14:42:09 PT
You would not know how to define progress morons
And even then, the agencies can't say whether they are making progress.No, they are not making progress. Progress would be the recognition that CP is wrong. They are involved in circular thinking. Breaking windows and crashing cars increases the GNP but it not only is not an accomplishment, it is negative. They go around in circles and every left step says Marijuana is a dangerous drug and every right step says Don't do drugs and they keep their simple thinking going step after step in a big circle. So they think the same thoughts for a million steps and they wonder if they accomplished anything after a hundred laps and are in the same place. Just like breaking a window they contribute to the GNP in a negative way.All we have is debt and a beaten path to remind us of the failure of their zombie thinking. Here is the test for our public servants- Are we making progress?A. No, not a chance. It is not even relevant.B. No, but we are bankrupting the system.C. No, but this is a good job in a bad economy.D. No, but we were told to say it is not clearE. No, but we have a clear path of failure so we will never be lostF. Hell no.Here is a link showing the government's new methods of cracking down on dissent- http://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/11/national/11PEAC.html
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Comment #1 posted by Jose Melendez on October 11, 2003 at 13:52:21 PT
Out hypocrisy.
I've been waiting for Souder to speak out again before I posted this:from:http://washingtontimes.com/national/20031009-114953-8616r.htmWhen it comes to hunting within the city of Washington, people — not ducks — are the moving targets.     A victim's chances of survival aren't helped by the fact that guns are banned in Washington, which means criminals get to pull all the triggers. But perhaps not for long. Certain members of Congress want to even the odds of survival.     Rep. Mark Souder, Indiana Republican, along with 22 Democrats and 40 Republicans as co-sponsors, has introduced legislation to guarantee residents of Washington their Second Amendment right to bear firearms in their homes and businesses.     The legislation seeks to lift Washington's gun ban — one of the strictest in America — which forbids law-abiding citizens from possessing handguns. (Even rifles are allowed only on an extremely limited basis.)     "The District of Columbia is a failed laboratory experiment for gun control," Mr. Souder says. "It has one of the most comprehensive bans on firearms in the nation, and it also has one of the highest violent-crime rates in the nation.  - Did you catch that? Souder is willing to acknowledge that, as every NRA member knows,when guns are illegal, only criminals have guns.There's more:    "In fact, in 2002 it had the highest per-capita crime rate of any city in the nation. This is not a coincidence. The simple fact is, when law-abiding citizens are forbidden by their government from protecting themselves, they become easy prey for those to whom a gun ban is just one more law to break." The rest of the story: alcohol and drug prohibition are DIRECTLY tied statistically to the murder rate. 
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