Marijuana Inc: Inside America's Pot Industry

[zuluzerosix]

This was on last night. Intersting show on the pot industry. The show specifically mentioned Mendocino County, where I live. It showed an indoor grow that was seized just a few block from my house.

Link:

Marijuana Inc: Inside America's Pot Industry

Future show times:

Monday, May 18th 12a ET
Monday, May 25th 12p | 10p ET
Tuesday, May 26th 1a ET

From what I know of in my home town, it seems pretty accurate. FYI, I am surrounded by pot growers. Both my neighbors grow, and my neighbor behind me grows also. I live about 300 clicks from the County main offices, the sheriff station, the jail and the high school. We are all on the same street.

Here are the economics:

Outdoor plants yield up to 3 pounds of bud-each pound sells for $1800-2200, depending on quality. 1 crop per year.

Indoor plants yield up to 1 -1.5 pounds PER LIGHT. A pound of indoor sells for about $2500-3300. Up to 3 crops per year.

The money is staggering. It is in your face here. This is how you get started. You go see a "Doctor" that writes you a reccomandation for Medical Marijuana Usage. The average cost is $150 for this visit....You take that to County Social Services Office and get a Prop 215 Card. It looks like your license. Then you can grow 6 plants. This is strictly for medicinal purposes only.

The selling part of course is illegal. Kick door home invasions are on the rise. They are getting more and more violent. My nightmare is someone kicking in my door at night because the home invaders have the wrong house. I also worry about the police kicking in my door and rolling in flash bangs because they have the wrong house.

Where there is drugs, legal or not-there is money. Where there is money there are weapons. Eventually comes the violence.

IMHO this state is is at a critical mass. It is just a matter of time before we implode.

Anyway, it was a good show. If you have not seen it I encourage you to see it. It will confirm what you were thinking about where California is headed.

[The Reaper]

Originally Posted by zuluzerosix

This was on last night. Intersting show on the pot industry. The show specifically mentioned Mendocino County, where I live. It showed an indoor grow that was seized just a few block from my house.

Link:

Marijuana Inc: Inside America's Pot Industry

Future show times:

Monday, May 18th 12a ET
Monday, May 25th 12p | 10p ET
Tuesday, May 26th 1a ET

From what I know of in my home town, it seems pretty accurate. FYI, I am surrounded by pot growers. Both my neighbors grow, and my neighbor behind me grows also. I live about 300 clicks from the County main offices, the sheriff station, the jail and the high school. We are all on the same street.

Here are the economics:

Outdoor plants yield up to 3 pounds of bud-each pound sells for $1800-2200, depending on quality. 1 crop per year.

Indoor plants yield up to 1 -1.5 pounds PER LIGHT. A pound of indoor sells for about $2500-3300. Up to 3 crops per year.

The money is staggering. It is in your face here. This is how you get started. You go see a "Doctor" that writes you a reccomandation for Medical Marijuana Usage. The average cost is $150 for this visit....You take that to County Social Services Office and get a Prop 215 Card. It looks like your license. Then you can grow 6 plants. This is strictly for medicinal purposes only.

The selling part of course is illegal. Kick door home invasions are on the rise. They are getting more and more violent. My nightmare is someone kicking in my door at night because the home invaders have the wrong house. I also worry about the police kicking in my door and rolling in flash bangs because they have the wrong house.

Where there is drugs, legal or not-there is money. Where there is money there are weapons. Eventually comes the violence.

IMHO this state is is at a critical mass. It is just a matter of time before we implode.

Anyway, it was a good show. If you have not seen it I encourage you to see it. It will confirm what you were thinking about where California is headed.

Shocking.

How far do you think a "click" is, BTW?

I would make sure that my address was prominently displayed on the house and by the curb with large numbers and letters.

TR

[zuluzerosix]

Originally Posted by The Reaper

Shocking.

How far do you think a "click" is, BTW?

I would make sure that my address was prominently displayed on the house and by the curb with large numbers and letters.

TR

Oh man, I meant 300 Meters. A "Click" or kilometer, is 1000 meters. I missed the 300 meter target on thet one! But my POT numbers are accurate.

It's crazy here, sir. I get folks in here with lunch sacks, filled with cash. Often there is residue on the cash. The entire store will smell of pot. I am just a working stiff trying to make it. My wife is a stiff also. She works at Juvi Hall. County employees just took a 10% cut in pay.

But if grew pot, I could make alot of cash. It is not right that 2/3 of our local economy (according to cnbc) is pot driven.
We ain't right in this state.

[zuluzerosix]

Just in: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...ed=rss.bayarea


U.S. Supreme Court rejects Prop. 215 challenge
Bob Egelko, Chronicle Staff Writer

Monday, May 18, 2009

(05-18) 12:13 PDT SAN FRANCISCO -- California's medical marijuana law survived its most serious legal challenge today as the U.S. Supreme Court denied appeals by two counties that argued they were being forced to condone violations of federal drug laws.

The justices, without comment, denied a hearing to officials from San Diego and San Bernardino counties who challenged Proposition 215, an initiative approved by state voters in 1996 that became a model for laws in 12 other states. It allows patients to use marijuana for medical conditions with their doctor's recommendation.

The counties specifically objected to legislation requiring them to issue identification cards that protect holders from arrest by state or local police for possessing small amounts of marijuana for medical use.

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that the federal government can enforce its laws against marijuana to prosecute users and suppliers of the drug in California and the other 12 states. The Obama administration has said it will target only traffickers who violate state as well as federal laws, although it has not stopped U.S. attorneys from raiding dispensaries that operate with local government approval.

Prop. 215 remains in effect despite federal enforcement efforts that began as soon as it passed. In the counties' case, the Supreme Court left intact a state ruling last year that said California remains free to decide whether to punish drug users under its own laws.

"The purpose of the (federal law) is to combat recreational drug use, not to regulate a state's medical practices," the Fourth District Court of Appeal in San Diego said in the July 31 decision.

In seeking Supreme Court review, San Diego and San Bernardino counties argued that the federal drug law overrides Prop. 215 and that they should not be required to issue identification cards allowing conduct that violates federal law.

Medical marijuana advocates were relieved by today's order.

"This was the most threatening case to state medical marijuana laws, the only one that tried to invalidate state laws," said attorney Graham Boyd of the American Civil Liberties Union, which defended the California law in the appeals court.

"No longer will local officials be able to hide behind federal law and resist upholding California's medical marijuana law," said Joe Elford, lawyer for Americans for Safe Access, which also took part in the case. He said the decision would strengthen his organization's case against the two counties and eight others that have refused to issue the identification cards.

The cases are San Diego County vs. San Diego NORML, 08-887, and San Bernardino County vs. California, 08-897

[greenberetTFS]

Originally Posted by zuluzerosix

Oh man, I meant 300 Meters. A "Click" or kilometer, is 1000 meters. I missed the 300 meter target on thet one! But my POT numbers are accurate.

It's crazy here, sir. I get folks in here with lunch sacks, filled with cash. Often there is residue on the cash. The entire store will smell of pot. I am just a working stiff trying to make. My wife is a stiff also. She works at Juvi Hall. County employees just took a 10% cut in pay.

But if grew pot, I could make alot of cash. It is not right that 2/3 of our local economy (according to cnbc) is pot driven.
We ain't right in this state.

ZZ6,

I read the article,it is absolutely amazing what's going on out there, just unbelievable ....... My advise is to get out of there and go back to Houston..

GB TFS

[zuluzerosix]

Originally Posted by greenberetTFS

ZZ6,

I read the article,it is absolutely amazing what's going on out there, just unbelievable ....... My advise is to get out of there and go back to Houston..

GB TFS

Working on it!

[SF_BHT]

You have to understand that this is a Local Government trying to get a ruling from the US SC. They were trying to get them to rule to force a change to the state. They were not going to be sucked in on that play.

Flip to the Federal Authority......

Until they change the Fed Law the Feds will continue to Enforce the Federal law.

No one from the USAG's office has moved on that stance and until they remove it from the books or make Medical use legal on the Federal statues we in DEA will continue to bust the dopers that are dealing with a pretext of doing it for medical use......

[zuluzerosix]

Originally Posted by SF_BHT

You have to understand that this is a Local Government trying to get a ruling from the US SC. They were trying to get them to rule to force a change to the state. They were not going to be sucked in on that play.

Flip to the Federal Authority......

Until they change the Fed Law the Feds will continue to Enforce the Federal law.

No one from the USAG's office has moved on that stance and until they remove it from the books or make Medical use legal on the Federal statues we in DEA will continue to bust the dopers that are dealing with a pretext of doing it for medical use......

I sat with a DEA agent in my office for over an hour we talked about the pot problem here. He told me flat out the fed just are not interested in prosecuting
small time growers. The want the big growers. The 6-12 plant growers cost too much time and resources to prosecute with little result.

[Brush Okie]

Originally Posted by zuluzerosix

I sat with a DEA agent in my office for over an hour we talked about the pot problem here. He told me flat out the fed just are not interested in prosecuting
small time growers. The want the big growers. The 6-12 plant growers cost too much time and resources to prosecute with little result.

That is it in a nutshell. The feds ingore the "small" grower in northern CA. They used to not go after anyone with less than 100 plants. They leave it up to the local and state authorties to go after anything less than 100 plants. That was about five yers ago, the number may have changed since then.

[zuluzerosix]

This is from 01/28/2009: This is the wife of one of our public defenders. We as a state, are screwed.

Bust yields 162 pounds of marijuana

The Salt Lake Tribune

Daily Journal reports

A Ukiah woman has been arrested in Utah after a traffic stop ended in a drug bust.
Deborah K. Schlosser, 56, of Ukiah was stopped by a Utah Highway Patrol trooper as she traveled through Salt Lake County Saturday evening.
The trooper stopped Schlosser around 8 p.m. as she drove eastbound on Interstate 80 toward Salt Lake City, said UHP Sgt. Larry Mower. The trooper pulled Schlosser over just after she'd crossed the Tooele County Line after observing her swerving on the road, he said.
The trooper, who was working with a canine named Tank, asked Schlosser if he could search her vehicle after the dog indicated drugs were possibly inside, Mower said.
The trooper and Tank discovered five or six large duffle bags full of suspected pot in the back of her charcoal gray Toyota Tundra.
Utah Highway Patrol arrested a woman on Interstate 80 with what has been identified as 162 pounds of marijuana. The street value of the drugs is estimated at $600,000, Mower said. The woman was arrested and booked at the Salt Lake County jail on suspicion of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute. Schlosser was not cooperating with investigators late Saturday evening, Mower said. Before the trooper searched her vehicle and found the drugs she told him that she was from California and was driving to visit friends in Minnesota, he said.

[dmgedgoods]

I feel you ZZ6. I grew up in the Bay Area and lived in Santa Rosa the past 8 years. The pot industry is unstoppable in that area. Bottom line. I know in Shasta County, for example, "pot busts" are done in a unique fashion. The sheriff will knock on the door, ask for a trash bag of pot, and move on. No harm, no foul in their book. Drug bust accomplished.
Your best bet, if you can't take the heat, is to bail out. I love northern California. It is absolutely one of the most beautiful areas I have ever lived. However, the politics are scary. The way I looked at it: better to have a bunch of stoners in town than have a bunch of tweakers, robbing and stealing to support their habit.
As far as how other local jurisdictions handle their business? Anything less than 100 plants is the typical rule of thumb, at least for the rural areas. Some cities have regulations that stipulate a certain number of plants based on how far from the city center you are, or how far from schools, etc. Everybody is different, and things are run differently based on local legislation regarding the issue. The feds want those 1000+ crops. Too many times I have seen DEA chopper thousands of plants off the Russian River bed.
I hope to one day move back to the area after my Army career. I know the lay of the land good enough to avoid the bad spots, and the bad politics for the most part.

Shawn

[BigJimCalhoun]

I am curious what percentage of those on "medical marijuana" in San Francisco turn around and immediately sell it to those under 18 in order to take that proceeds and then buy other drugs.

Denver legalized a small amount of marijuana as did Massachusetts. But neither legalized the cultivation, sales, import, distribution etc. To me, that seems to just embolden gangs and illegal activity. Instead of that bogus 90 percent of guns.... argument, the politicians should be saying, "our semi-legalization and turning a blind eye to marijuana has allowed Mexican gangs even more of a market"...

[Fiercely Loyal]

Originally Posted by zuluzerosix

Oh man, I meant 300 Meters. A "Click" or kilometer, is 1000 meters. I missed the 300 meter target on thet one! But my POT numbers are accurate.

Been hanging out with the neighbors a bit much eh? That isn't wood smoke in the air.

[exsquid]

In British Columbia the indoor grows are so numerous they do not even prosecute because the police do not have the time. They do multiple raids everyday & only have time to destroy the plants & confiscate the equipment.

x/S

[Fiercely Loyal]

Originally Posted by zuluzerosix

I sat with a DEA agent in my office for over an hour we talked about the pot problem here. He told me flat out the fed just are not interested in prosecuting
small time growers. The want the big growers. The 6-12 plant growers cost too much time and resources to prosecute with little result.

We are running into similar problems in Alaska. At one time we were the number 1 location for indoor pot growing / busts. Meth became a larger problem and had to focus on it more. Hell even the locals knew where the PD was taking the evidence after the case was dismissed or finished so they could get their equipment back. Now they destroy all the lamps and assemblies. They aren't too cheap from what I recall. We also have a state law about legal amount of marijuana in your home which is a misconception about the total legality of it since federal trumps state.