T
The420Guy
Guest
California authorities this year have seized record amounts of marijuana
crops growing on pot farms in all corners of the state, but Silicon Valley
apparently is no longer a haven for the secret harvests.
The state's annual Campaign Against Marijuana Planting, or CAMP, netted
nearly $2 billion in marijuana plants, a dramatic jump over past years that
reflects what law enforcement officials say are increasingly aggressive
Mexican drug cartels growing the crop in secluded public areas such as the
Sequoia National Forest.
``This shows the skyrocketing numbers of large plantations,'' Attorney
General Bill Lockyer said during a news conference in San Jose.
Santa Clara County, where authorities two years ago found more marijuana
growing than just about anywhere in California, was well down the list of
trouble spots this season. Tulare County, the target earlier this month of
a major raid in the steep, remote hills of an Indian reservation, topped
the state's list this year, with more than 140,000 marijuana plants
confiscated.
Overall, the CAMP program seized more than 466,000 plants, 100,000 more
than last year. Authorities seized more than 6,000 plants each in Santa
Cruz and Monterey counties, more than 5,000 in Santa Clara, and more than
1,500 in San Mateo.
California's traditional marijuana-growing region of Humboldt, Trinity and
Mendocino counties, known as the Emerald Triangle, is no longer the only
favored spot of marijuana growers, at least on an annual basis. While
Mendocino was third in seizures, large farms are now dotting other counties
such as Shasta, Kern and even Napa's wine country.
In a new trend, 75 percent of marijuana farms found by state authorities
were on public lands, as marijuana growers have turned to planting in
forests meant for hikers and campers.
Pubdate: Thu, 30 Oct 2003
Source: San Jose Mercury News (CA)
Copyright: 2003 San Jose Mercury News
Contact: letters@sjmercury.com
Website: BayArea.com
crops growing on pot farms in all corners of the state, but Silicon Valley
apparently is no longer a haven for the secret harvests.
The state's annual Campaign Against Marijuana Planting, or CAMP, netted
nearly $2 billion in marijuana plants, a dramatic jump over past years that
reflects what law enforcement officials say are increasingly aggressive
Mexican drug cartels growing the crop in secluded public areas such as the
Sequoia National Forest.
``This shows the skyrocketing numbers of large plantations,'' Attorney
General Bill Lockyer said during a news conference in San Jose.
Santa Clara County, where authorities two years ago found more marijuana
growing than just about anywhere in California, was well down the list of
trouble spots this season. Tulare County, the target earlier this month of
a major raid in the steep, remote hills of an Indian reservation, topped
the state's list this year, with more than 140,000 marijuana plants
confiscated.
Overall, the CAMP program seized more than 466,000 plants, 100,000 more
than last year. Authorities seized more than 6,000 plants each in Santa
Cruz and Monterey counties, more than 5,000 in Santa Clara, and more than
1,500 in San Mateo.
California's traditional marijuana-growing region of Humboldt, Trinity and
Mendocino counties, known as the Emerald Triangle, is no longer the only
favored spot of marijuana growers, at least on an annual basis. While
Mendocino was third in seizures, large farms are now dotting other counties
such as Shasta, Kern and even Napa's wine country.
In a new trend, 75 percent of marijuana farms found by state authorities
were on public lands, as marijuana growers have turned to planting in
forests meant for hikers and campers.
Pubdate: Thu, 30 Oct 2003
Source: San Jose Mercury News (CA)
Copyright: 2003 San Jose Mercury News
Contact: letters@sjmercury.com
Website: BayArea.com
