cannabisnews.com: Marijuana Warlords Set Up Shop Beneath Redwoods 





Marijuana Warlords Set Up Shop Beneath Redwoods 
Posted by FoM on January 01, 2001 at 09:23:18 PT
By Thomas D. Elias
Source: Washington Times 
Marijuana gardens planted illegally by squatters in the national forests of California are growing steadily larger, producing crops that are becoming ever more lucrative and potent, law-enforcement agencies reported in December as they wrapped up a record season of seizures in America's leading pot-growing state.
"There is a lot more growing out there," said Eric Nishimoto, spokesman for the Ventura County Sheriff's Department, which cut down more than 15,000 plants with a combined street value of about $22 million in the county's portion of the Los Padres National Forest during one month last fall."We're seeing more sophistication in the methods used, which can yield a much larger crop. We're not talking about the old days when some potheads grew some plants for their own use."Overall, California authorities seized more than 420,000 marijuana plants, or pot, last year —almost double the 241,000 they grabbed in 1999. Agents of the joint local-state-federal California Campaign Against Marijuana Planting (CAMP) scored their biggest single-raid haul ever in September, confiscating 58,000 plants from a patch in the Sequoia National Forest, northeast of Bakersfield.They staged their biggest-ever San Francisco Bay area bust that same month, taking $49 million worth of plants from a patch planted beneath coastal redwoods in a county park near Woodside, on the edge of the Silicon Valley. Most marijuana plants produce about a pound of smokeable weed apiece, with the street value ranging from $600 to $5,000 per pound, depending on the potency of their tetrahydrocannabinol, the active ingredient in marijuana.That big money, said Sonya Barna, CAMP's director of operations, is the reason "we're not dealing with traditional hippie farmers any more. A lot of them have been pushed out by pseudo-criminal organizations from Mexico who import labor and armed guards. It's more cost-effective to grow it here than to smuggle it in. If they plant 20 big gardens, they can easily afford to lose most of them [to police] and still make millions."Although one armed grower was killed this year by a CAMP agent —the first fatality in the campaign's 15-year history — most raids net no suspected growers. Many patches now are equipped with watchtowers and dummies made to look like armed farmers. Police say these are principally intended to scare off poachers, but also can provide growers with warnings when police approach. Some patches feature guards carrying AK-47s, intended to fight off thieves, not for resisting police.Authorities also have found irrigation pipes running to the pot patches from creeks and springs as far as five miles away. Growers or their workers carry food, ammunition and other supplies into the park and later pack mature pot out on their backs.Forest Service officials worry that the pot patches are affecting wildlife in the national forests, as growers kill animals for food, cut away natural vegetation, litter and leave human waste."They're using the forest as a toilet," said Kathy Good, a Forest Service spokeswoman. "Birds and animals are dying because of the pesticides they use. They're also a big fire hazard because they use stoves and campfires unsafely."Nevertheless, some law-enforcement officials believe their campaign is succeeding. "It's very, very expensive to set these gardens up, and they take a big hit financially when we strike," said Ms. Barna. "And the more we take from them, the less they can put out on the street. I don't think we'll ever eliminate this entirely, but we are at least holding it down."Improved police techniques are one reason for the increased amounts of confiscated pot from raids. They have become more efficient at spotting gardens from cruising helicopters, then either landing on level ground or dropping officers into remote ravines by cables that can extend down as far as 150 feet.But the more law enforcement does, it seems, the more inventive the growers become. Where California pot growing was once largely confined to the so-called "Emerald Triangle" of three North Coast counties, now growers operate all over the state."You can grow almost anything in the San Joaquin Valley with a little water, and they're taking advantage of that," Ms. Barna said.Some law-enforcement officials say the conflicted attitude of the California public makes enforcement difficult. The 1996 Proposition 215, aimed at legalizing medical marijuana, passed 60 percent to 40 percent. Even state Attorney General Bill Lockyer, a Democrat, admits to some ambivalence."I don't use drugs, and I don't condone drug use," he said. "I will use our authority to stamp out illegal drugs. But this is totally separate from my support of medical uses of marijuana."Complete Title: Marijuana Warlords Set Up Shop Beneath Redwoods of California Source: Washington Times (DC)Author: Thomas D. EliasPublished: January 1, 2001Copyright: 2001 News World Communications, Inc.Fax: 202-832-8285Contact: nated wt.infi.netWebsite: http://www.washtimes.com/Related Article:Drug Danger in U.S. Forestshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread8087.shtmlCannabisNews - Cannabis Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/cannabis.shtml 
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Comment #11 posted by aocp on January 02, 2001 at 09:25:22 PT:
Assorted ramblings
>That big money, said Sonya Barna, CAMP's director of operations, is the reason "we're not dealing with traditional hippie farmers any more. A lot of them have been pushed out by pseudo-criminal organizations from Mexico who import labor and armed guards.You don't say? Sacre merde! You mean your very own prohibitive policies are bringing in the violence?!? Only an idiot like a narc could say this with pride.>It's more cost-effective to grow it here than to smuggle it in. If they plant 20 big gardens, they can easily afford to lose most of them [to police] and still make millions."Remember, you said it, not me. I'll come back to this.>Forest Service officials worry that the pot patches are affecting wildlife in the national forests, as growers kill animals for food, cut away natural vegetation, litter and leave human waste.Yea, i can really see anything these guys are killing for food to be on the endangered species list real soon. As for the "natural vegetation", your moronic "let's play deity" narc-buddies in montana and florida are trying to bring out the silver bullet fungicide to deal with your hated enemy. They tell us it couldn't possibly go after anything save cannabis, so come on in! The "water's" fine! If they litter something non-biogradeable, you're welcome to catch them for that ... i do not condone such behavior. As for the human waste, it's freaking *fertilizer*!>"They're using the forest as a toilet," said Kathy Good, a Forest Service spokeswoman. "Birds and animals are dying because of the pesticides they use. They're also a big fire hazard because they use stoves and campfires unsafely."So they're not Eagle Scouts. BFD. Your policies give them the incentive to do this in the first place. Take some responsibility, but i won't hold my breath. As for the pesticides, again i heard all about this great fungus...>Nevertheless, some law-enforcement officials believe their campaign is succeeding. "It's very, very expensive to set these gardens up, and they take a big hit financially when we strike," said Ms. Barna.So what? Up above, we learned that they can lose a ton and still make millions! You said it, not us. Man! I bust my tail at three different jobs to pay for school and these guys you're putting "the big hurt" on are still making millions! Your campaign of stupidity is netting jack. Good job.>"And the more we take from them, the less they can put out on the street. I don't think we'll ever eliminate this entirely, but we are at least holding it down."The funny thing is that they ALWAYS have more than enough to put on the street! And these are the same people who wonder why our schools suck!
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Comment #10 posted by JR Bob Dobbs on January 02, 2001 at 08:47:20 PT
One-pound sprouts
  For a look at how the police can inflate a crop yield through adding effective oral fertilizer, I highly reccomend downloading the 6MB PDF version of Todd McCormick's book, How To Grow Medical Marijuana. This is the only place you can get this book (correct me if I'm wrong!), and it is truly a tome of useful info. In it, you can find photos of Todd's garden (in the introduction) with captions saying what the DEA claimed it was. You'll see thousands of plants in a single room, and the sprout that can produce a pound! And other such quackery which could only be possible through the high-grade extremely expensive taxpayer-supported government manure factories which took posession of Todd's plants before they could heal sick people.
Todd McCormick's "How To Grow Medical Marijuana"
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Comment #9 posted by dddd on January 01, 2001 at 21:11:36 PT
1 pound plants
Havnt you heard of the one pound plants?They're the same ones that make buds that sell for $5000.00 a lb.
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Comment #8 posted by Occassional Pot User on January 01, 2001 at 21:03:10 PT
1 lb per plant?
"Most marijuana plants produce about a pound of smokeable weed a piece"WTF? Since when can 1 plant produce a pound of buds?
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Comment #7 posted by Robbie on January 01, 2001 at 18:45:52 PT
This may be a reach, but...
>>Overall, California authorities seized more than 420,000 marijuana plants420? That cant be just a coincidence. Was that the actual haul?____________I echo earlier sentiments...Thanks FoM and CannabisNews for spreading the word and letting all of us spout off. Continued success and good works in 2001!
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Comment #6 posted by NiftySplifty on January 01, 2001 at 15:00:25 PT
They'd better shut down all those Girl Scouts!
"Forest Service officials worry that the pot patches are affecting wildlife in the national forests, as growers kill animals for food, cut away natural vegetation, litter and leave human waste.""They're using the forest as a toilet," said Kathy Good, a Forest Service spokeswoman. "Birds and animals are dying because of the pesticides they use. They're also a big fire hazard because they use stoves and campfires unsafely."Gosh, has anyone ever taken a leak on a tree when camping? Oh no! I guess bears really DON'T shit in the woods! Unsafe stove and campfires! Yikes! Girl Scouts, you're outta here! Pesticides! Uh oh! Just wait until the choppers come overhead with THEIR chemicals! What, animals dying? Oh no! We'd better stop all those carnivores! (Do they think pot farmers/guards really have time to hunt animals, let alone CLEAN the animals? I'd put money on a bunch of canned food, if it were me).DDDD, sorry they won't get chickens FROM Gray Davis, they'll get chickens LIKE Gray Davis.
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Comment #5 posted by freedom fighter on January 01, 2001 at 14:43:40 PT
And we are supposed to feel
safer! CAMP 15 years of history equals 15 years of failures Calling all californians to disband this CAMP, they are the one who are killing the wildlife down there with their helicopters.
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Comment #4 posted by kaptinemo on January 01, 2001 at 13:34:10 PT:
Trying...for 63 years, and counting...
The Law of Diminishing Returns: An economic principle asserting that the application of additional units of any one input (labor, land, capital) to fixed amounts of the other inputs yields successively smaller increments in the output of a system of production. (Krippendorff) In other words, when you are trying to bail out the ocean using a child's sandbucket, nothing you do will make a dent in the problem.That's what the narks have been doing all these years; they even admit it, in an oblique way:'"And the more we take from them, the less they can put out on the street. I don't think we'll ever eliminate this entirely, but we are at least holding it down."'And increasing the profitability of what's left, thereby increasing the likelihood of more real criminal activity accompanying the distribution. They've already as good as admitted that their actions caused that increase:"We're seeing more sophistication in the methods used, which can yield a much larger crop. We're not talking about the old days when some potheads grew some plants for their own use."Yes, the harmless potheads driven out by the very ruthless thugs the cops are now whining about. Thugs that horned in on the harmless potheads when the actions of the *legislators* and the cops *made* it so profitable.So stupid. But what do you expect from narks?
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Comment #3 posted by Dan Hillman on January 01, 2001 at 11:38:51 PT
Large gardens a result of prohibition
> Eric Nishimoto: "We're seeing more sophistication in the methods used, which can yield a much larger crop. We're not talking about the old days when some potheads grew some plants for their own use."Well, gee, after the "zero tolerance" years of the 1980's and 90's in which low flying choppers scouted out for small "potheads" marijuana gardens and busted same *regardless of size* (one plant was enough for a visit from camo-clad wannabe's), what exactly did you expect, Eric?---By the way, a Happy New Year to Cannabis News. CN gives reformers all over the world a chance to convene and discuss our favorite issue. On a recent trip to Europe, I walked into an Internet cafe and was pleased to see another patron reading Cannabis News! I could recognize the distinctive screen from across the room. FoM and everyone, I believe we are making a difference...keep it up in 2001!
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Comment #2 posted by dddd on January 01, 2001 at 11:37:10 PT
warlords
Now they are "warlords".The czars probably gearing up for "Plan California".I'm sure no one will mind when the choppers start spraying the redwoods with some of that harmless herbicide like Colombian rain. Then the marines will be mobilized to track down and kill these dangerous "warlords"...People whose property is damaged,will be given some seeds,and a couple of chickens by Gray Davis. 
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Comment #1 posted by steve1 on January 01, 2001 at 10:53:49 PT
botany!
"We're seeing more sophistication in the methods used, which can yield a much larger crop. We're not talking about the old days when some potheads grew some plants for their own use." Yeah it's called botany, heavens forbid the humans use science to make them happier.
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