Ron Strider
Well-Known Member
The SCSO released the latest statistical data on illicit drug seizures made during 2017.
The Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office reported the following:
The SCSO released the latest statistical data on illicit drug seizures made during 2017.
Operating primarily on private property using search warrants, the Siskiyou Interagency Marijuana Investigation Team conducted a series of counter-drug operations in unincorporated areas of Siskiyou County, mostly in Shasta Vista, Klamath River Country Estates in the Hornbrook area; Weed; Lake Shastina; Montague; Big Springs; and Iron Gate (Copco Lake area), seizing 7,840 illicit cannabis plants.
The 22 search warrants served by SIMIT also resulted in the seizure of 477 pounds of processed cannabis, 13 firearms, and two THC extraction or "BHO" labs (concentrated cannabis).
During the counter-drug operations, 27 greenhouses, 15 growing nurseries, seven outdoor cultivation sites, and two indoor illicit cannabis grows were eradicated. Twenty pending criminal cases are being submitted to the Siskiyou County District Attorney.
The illicit cannabis plants are worth an estimated $28.2 million wholesale and approximately $94 million retail with a three pound per plant yield. The processed cannabis is estimated to be worth at least $1.9 million retail.
According to Sheriff Jon Lopey, "We are still seeing large-scale illicit cannabis grow sites in many county areas and these recent operations prove there is still a large-scale effort by many illegal growers to violate the law and existing county guidelines, which do not permit more than 12 medical cannabis plants. These 12 plants are required to be grown in an approved indoor structure. There is also mounting evidence of large-scale, organized crime efforts to finance the numerous illicit grow sites that have been observed or eradicated."
The SCSO and the Siskiyou County District Attorney's Office formed SIMIT during 2016 and the team has assumed the primary mission of enforcing drug-related laws and the county's marijuana ordinance on private property. The difference between this and last year is the fact the team is getting an early start on enforcing violations of cannabis cultivation laws and the corresponding county ordinance.
Thus far during 2017 and during the previous year, SIMIT investigators have encountered environmental damage inflicted by growers, including downed trees, garbage, raw sewage, illegal water diversions, chemicals and fertilizers used in cultivation sites, and other adverse impacts. Illegal campfires on land parcels have been detected along with a number of fire hazards associated with debris piles, fuels, and hazardous substances.
According to Sergeant Jeremiah LaRue, "Major impacts of these illegal marijuana cultivation sites also include but are not limited to improper grading, human waste, run-off sentiment, nutrients and fertilizers leaching into the soil and watershed; improper site development, illegal road construction, run-off into streams, rivers, and lakes, illegal stream bed alternations, water thefts, and other public health and environmental concerns that adversely impact water quality and natural habitats, potentially harmful to birds, fish, other animals."
As a reminder to all citizens, the marijuana ordinance adopted by the county does not allow outdoor cultivation of medical marijuana plants in county areas and limits growers to 12 plants, which must be cultivated in a separate indoor structure meeting county specifications and requirements. It is important to note that it is estimated these illegal, outdoor marijuana sites, on private property alone, are expending up to 3 million gallons of water a day. According to Sheriff Lopey, "I would also like to remind my fellow citizens that we are not seeking enforcement against legitimate medical marijuana users or recreational growers in compliance with recently-passed Proposition 64, as long as those citizens comply with the law."
Another task force, the California Department of Justice-led North State Marijuana Investigation Team, a regional team working with the United States Forest Service and other federal, state, and local agencies, is tasked with curtailing illegal marijuana grow sites on public lands. NSMIT, including a member from the SCSO, is investigating illicit cannabis cultivation sites on public land (mostly USFS) areas of Siskiyou County and additional counter-drug enforcement operations are planned in the near future. NSMIT has also detected hazardous chemicals that threaten the environment in public land grows during their productive 2016 enforcement season. Last week, NSMIT conducted a counter-drug operation on June 9, 2017 in the Highland Creek area (North Fork of Salmon River) and eradicated 7,000 illegal cannabis plants being grown on USFS land. Five suspects were arrested during that operation. All were later found to be illegal aliens and they were remanded to the custody of the Immigration Customs Enforcement special agents. A tip from a citizen led investigators to conduct a check of the area, which yielded the significant seizure of the 7,000 illicit cannabis plants. The plants seized, based on a three pound yield, could have resulted in about $84 million in illicit retail drug proceeds on the streets.
According to Sheriff Lopey, "We appreciate the information and support we are receiving from the Siskiyou County residents impacted by these illegal cultivation sites. I urge any citizen or group to contact me or another departmental leader if they have any questions about our existing ordinance or lawful provisions of criminal law related to cannabis cultivation. Our ultimate goal is to gain voluntary compliance from non-compliant inhabitants of the county."
In other illicit drug news, the SCSO, in partnership with the Siskiyou Against Rx Addiction (SARA) group, a multi-disciplinary group of health care, law enforcement, and other stake holders are working together to mitigate the rising tide of overdose deaths and other adverse incidents associated with opioids. During a recent Drug Enforcement Agency "Drug Take Back Day", hundreds of pounds of prescription drugs were collected in various Siskiyou County sites. At the SCSO office in Yreka and elsewhere, over 800 pounds of prescriptions drugs were turned in by area citizens, which is a record amount. SARA has also provided SCSO and local law enforcement agencies with Naloxone or "Narcan," an anecdote for opioid overdoses. Lieutenant Darrell Frost of SCSO has already started training SCSO and local agencies and local deputies and officers will soon have Narcan to help save the lives of citizens suffering from an opioid overdose. Lieutenant Frost has already used Narcan during a successful medical emergency.
According to Sheriff Lopey, "This is an excellent program, we expect the Narcan anecdote to save lives in Siskiyou County, and our partnership with SARA is a great effort in response to the opioid problem in our county and nationwide. This is a good time to remind Siskiyou County residents that the Siskiyou Unified Major Investigation Team (SUMIT), a multi-agency counter-drug team made up of SCSO, Siskiyou County District Attorney's Office, CHP, SCSO, Weed Police Department, California Department of Alcohol and Beverage Control, Siskiyou County Probation Department, and the California Department of Justice, Bureau of Investigations, which leads the team, has been working hard to rid the county of hard drugs, including opioids. During 2016, SUMIT investigated 101 illicit drug offenses, made 96 felony drug arrests, and seized 46,957 grams of methamphetamine, 395 pounds of cannabis, 411 grams of concentrated cannabis, 3,835 grams of heroin, 4,813 grams of cocaine, and SUMIT confiscated 12,921 illegal pills, 400 doses of LSD, and seized 19 firearms. The value of the illicit drugs seized by SUMIT totaled $3,928,377. SUMIT is truly doing an outstanding job with its member's agencies to respond to the overwhelming illicit drug problems we have within the county and it is also important to add that Interstate 5, US 97, and SR 96 are major smuggling corridors used by drug trafficking organizations. The CHP and other agencies have made numerous large-scale seizures on our highways in recent months."
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Sheriff: Illicit cannabis grows continue in 2017 - News - Siskiyou Daily News, Yreka, CA - Yreka, CA
Contact: Contact - Yreka, CA - Siskiyou Daily News, Yreka, CA
Photo Credit: John Nores Jr.
Website: Siskiyou Daily News, Yreka, CA: Local & World News, Sports & Entertainment in Yreka, CA
The Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office reported the following:
The SCSO released the latest statistical data on illicit drug seizures made during 2017.
Operating primarily on private property using search warrants, the Siskiyou Interagency Marijuana Investigation Team conducted a series of counter-drug operations in unincorporated areas of Siskiyou County, mostly in Shasta Vista, Klamath River Country Estates in the Hornbrook area; Weed; Lake Shastina; Montague; Big Springs; and Iron Gate (Copco Lake area), seizing 7,840 illicit cannabis plants.
The 22 search warrants served by SIMIT also resulted in the seizure of 477 pounds of processed cannabis, 13 firearms, and two THC extraction or "BHO" labs (concentrated cannabis).
During the counter-drug operations, 27 greenhouses, 15 growing nurseries, seven outdoor cultivation sites, and two indoor illicit cannabis grows were eradicated. Twenty pending criminal cases are being submitted to the Siskiyou County District Attorney.
The illicit cannabis plants are worth an estimated $28.2 million wholesale and approximately $94 million retail with a three pound per plant yield. The processed cannabis is estimated to be worth at least $1.9 million retail.
According to Sheriff Jon Lopey, "We are still seeing large-scale illicit cannabis grow sites in many county areas and these recent operations prove there is still a large-scale effort by many illegal growers to violate the law and existing county guidelines, which do not permit more than 12 medical cannabis plants. These 12 plants are required to be grown in an approved indoor structure. There is also mounting evidence of large-scale, organized crime efforts to finance the numerous illicit grow sites that have been observed or eradicated."
The SCSO and the Siskiyou County District Attorney's Office formed SIMIT during 2016 and the team has assumed the primary mission of enforcing drug-related laws and the county's marijuana ordinance on private property. The difference between this and last year is the fact the team is getting an early start on enforcing violations of cannabis cultivation laws and the corresponding county ordinance.
Thus far during 2017 and during the previous year, SIMIT investigators have encountered environmental damage inflicted by growers, including downed trees, garbage, raw sewage, illegal water diversions, chemicals and fertilizers used in cultivation sites, and other adverse impacts. Illegal campfires on land parcels have been detected along with a number of fire hazards associated with debris piles, fuels, and hazardous substances.
According to Sergeant Jeremiah LaRue, "Major impacts of these illegal marijuana cultivation sites also include but are not limited to improper grading, human waste, run-off sentiment, nutrients and fertilizers leaching into the soil and watershed; improper site development, illegal road construction, run-off into streams, rivers, and lakes, illegal stream bed alternations, water thefts, and other public health and environmental concerns that adversely impact water quality and natural habitats, potentially harmful to birds, fish, other animals."
As a reminder to all citizens, the marijuana ordinance adopted by the county does not allow outdoor cultivation of medical marijuana plants in county areas and limits growers to 12 plants, which must be cultivated in a separate indoor structure meeting county specifications and requirements. It is important to note that it is estimated these illegal, outdoor marijuana sites, on private property alone, are expending up to 3 million gallons of water a day. According to Sheriff Lopey, "I would also like to remind my fellow citizens that we are not seeking enforcement against legitimate medical marijuana users or recreational growers in compliance with recently-passed Proposition 64, as long as those citizens comply with the law."
Another task force, the California Department of Justice-led North State Marijuana Investigation Team, a regional team working with the United States Forest Service and other federal, state, and local agencies, is tasked with curtailing illegal marijuana grow sites on public lands. NSMIT, including a member from the SCSO, is investigating illicit cannabis cultivation sites on public land (mostly USFS) areas of Siskiyou County and additional counter-drug enforcement operations are planned in the near future. NSMIT has also detected hazardous chemicals that threaten the environment in public land grows during their productive 2016 enforcement season. Last week, NSMIT conducted a counter-drug operation on June 9, 2017 in the Highland Creek area (North Fork of Salmon River) and eradicated 7,000 illegal cannabis plants being grown on USFS land. Five suspects were arrested during that operation. All were later found to be illegal aliens and they were remanded to the custody of the Immigration Customs Enforcement special agents. A tip from a citizen led investigators to conduct a check of the area, which yielded the significant seizure of the 7,000 illicit cannabis plants. The plants seized, based on a three pound yield, could have resulted in about $84 million in illicit retail drug proceeds on the streets.
According to Sheriff Lopey, "We appreciate the information and support we are receiving from the Siskiyou County residents impacted by these illegal cultivation sites. I urge any citizen or group to contact me or another departmental leader if they have any questions about our existing ordinance or lawful provisions of criminal law related to cannabis cultivation. Our ultimate goal is to gain voluntary compliance from non-compliant inhabitants of the county."
In other illicit drug news, the SCSO, in partnership with the Siskiyou Against Rx Addiction (SARA) group, a multi-disciplinary group of health care, law enforcement, and other stake holders are working together to mitigate the rising tide of overdose deaths and other adverse incidents associated with opioids. During a recent Drug Enforcement Agency "Drug Take Back Day", hundreds of pounds of prescription drugs were collected in various Siskiyou County sites. At the SCSO office in Yreka and elsewhere, over 800 pounds of prescriptions drugs were turned in by area citizens, which is a record amount. SARA has also provided SCSO and local law enforcement agencies with Naloxone or "Narcan," an anecdote for opioid overdoses. Lieutenant Darrell Frost of SCSO has already started training SCSO and local agencies and local deputies and officers will soon have Narcan to help save the lives of citizens suffering from an opioid overdose. Lieutenant Frost has already used Narcan during a successful medical emergency.
According to Sheriff Lopey, "This is an excellent program, we expect the Narcan anecdote to save lives in Siskiyou County, and our partnership with SARA is a great effort in response to the opioid problem in our county and nationwide. This is a good time to remind Siskiyou County residents that the Siskiyou Unified Major Investigation Team (SUMIT), a multi-agency counter-drug team made up of SCSO, Siskiyou County District Attorney's Office, CHP, SCSO, Weed Police Department, California Department of Alcohol and Beverage Control, Siskiyou County Probation Department, and the California Department of Justice, Bureau of Investigations, which leads the team, has been working hard to rid the county of hard drugs, including opioids. During 2016, SUMIT investigated 101 illicit drug offenses, made 96 felony drug arrests, and seized 46,957 grams of methamphetamine, 395 pounds of cannabis, 411 grams of concentrated cannabis, 3,835 grams of heroin, 4,813 grams of cocaine, and SUMIT confiscated 12,921 illegal pills, 400 doses of LSD, and seized 19 firearms. The value of the illicit drugs seized by SUMIT totaled $3,928,377. SUMIT is truly doing an outstanding job with its member's agencies to respond to the overwhelming illicit drug problems we have within the county and it is also important to add that Interstate 5, US 97, and SR 96 are major smuggling corridors used by drug trafficking organizations. The CHP and other agencies have made numerous large-scale seizures on our highways in recent months."
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Sheriff: Illicit cannabis grows continue in 2017 - News - Siskiyou Daily News, Yreka, CA - Yreka, CA
Contact: Contact - Yreka, CA - Siskiyou Daily News, Yreka, CA
Photo Credit: John Nores Jr.
Website: Siskiyou Daily News, Yreka, CA: Local & World News, Sports & Entertainment in Yreka, CA
