Tomato-Growing Operation 'Busted' In Missouri Marijuana Roundup

MedicalNeed

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On the right is a tomato. It will not get you high. Independence police know this, but they still knocked on a man's door on 4/20 looking for a marijuana-growing operation and found tomato plants, KMBC Channel 9 reported. Understandably, the tomato grower isn't happy and believes that he was profiled for buying hydroponic equipment.

"What I saw today was not protection," the unnamed man told KMBC. (He didn't want his name used because he's an emergency responder and doesn't want to lose his job.) "That was harassment, all because of where I made a purchase."

The man continued: "The last time I checked, it wasn't illegal to grow a tomato plant, but it makes you wonder. ... I understand that a lot of people use hydroponic equipment for illegal ways, but that's just like saying everybody who buys a gun is going to be a criminal and murder somebody."

This was all part of a crackdown on grow operations on 4/20 in which thousands of marijuana plants were seized and several grow operations were shut down. Someone's trying to send a message.

The Missouri Highway Patrol monitors stores that sell hydroponic equipment, and authorities use those sales to bust marijuana-grow operations. According to KMBC, Independence police said they used the same tactic that led them to the tomato grower to bust a marijuana-grow operation earlier Wednesday.

The Missouri Highway Patrol said 37 indoor grow operations were seized along with 1,500 marijuana plants and 20 pounds of processed marijuana as part of the 4/20 bust, which they called "Operation Constant Gardener."


NewsHawk: MedicalNeed: 420 MAGAZINE
Author: Justin Kendall
Source: pitch.com
Copyright: 2011 Kansas City Pitch, LLC.
Contact: Kansas City About Us The Pitch
Website: Tomato-growing operation 'busted' in Missouri marijuana roundup - Kansas City News - Plog
 
Pathetic, that these cops themselves are not arrested. Tell me Im wrong, but that is your right to privacy they are violating, the same way an identity thief would.
 
I think I would get a lawyer and sue the pants off of the city of Independance. That would send a loud and clear message to over zealous LE.
 
The article makes no mention of any search warrant being issued for the mans premesis. Buying hydroponic supplies is not in itself illegal, so they cannot obtain a warrant based on that alone.

They can come and knock on your door, but you don't have to let them inside without being presented with valid search warrant. Absent a warrant, you can ask them to leave or they are then illegally tresspassing on your private property. :peace:
 
The article makes no mention of any search warrant being issued for the mans premesis. Buying hydroponic supplies is not in itself illegal, so they cannot obtain a warrant based on that alone.

They can come and knock on your door, but you don't have to let them inside without being presented with valid search warrant. Absent a warrant, you can ask them to leave or they are then illegally tresspassing on your private property. :peace:

I was wondering that myself.

Excellent points. Had they knocked on my door without a warrent they would have been met with a very polite "Get off my property then please."
 
It does not mention a search warrant but I do find it hard to believe that they could bust 37 mj grow operations without some type of warrant. I'm just speculating, but I'll bet they had warrants that were 'not' based on the hydroponic store. They just had surveilance on the store then followed the customers to their grow ops where they used some pretext to obtain a search warrant to make their busts.
 
It does not mention a search warrant but I do find it hard to believe that they could bust 37 mj grow operations without some type of warrant. I'm just speculating, but I'll bet they had warrants that were 'not' based on the hydroponic store. They just had surveilance on the store then followed the customers to their grow ops where they used some pretext to obtain a search warrant to make their busts.

Good analysis of the topic. Let's explore that some...

The hydroponic store is only what lead the authorities to the properties.

Now anything found within the course of a subsequent investigation that, within the eyes of the law deemed as being in "clear sight" or having "no reasonable sense of security over", can create probable cause for a warrant. Any smell or heat signature emanating from the property is fair game, and may rise to the level of probable cause to obtain a warrant. Even the trash you throw out on the curb can be searched without a warrant. Any investigation of things, such as this, do not require a warrant.

Remember...

"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and Warrants shall not be issued, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."


Every American citizen should know their rights. :peace:
 
Harassment-in-spirit of the hydroponic store's customers by observing the operation of the store gets ya noticed.

As RooRman mentioned, after they notice you and start checking on the plain sight / clearly observable stuff, any that they find don't require a warrant - and may be enough to get a warrant for additional searching of your "private" property.

If that was all there was, lol. But there's still that technique that has been used since the early wire-tapping days and before: "My confidential informant told me <BLAH BLAH>." If they're right, you're busted. If they're wrong... <SHRUGS> they clock out and go home for the evening because it's no skin off their sack. And then there's the actual dead-men-walking narcs who'll say just about anything that (they think) gives them brownie-points with the prosecutor and who's word that they didn't do a crime is laughed at by everyone but who's word that someone else DID is taken for gospel. There ought to be a law - or at least open season and a 30% discount on slugs.
 
There was a string of busts similar to this in the late 80's called operation Green Merchant.

It was fought all the way to the supreme court and the merchants won. It is illegal to scope out the bars and then simply pull over their leaving patrons. Hence it was ruled illegal to do the same to grow shops who DO NOT or have never advertised in cannabis based magazines and or etc. so it follows the same reasoning.

So in fact most grow shops no do NOT advertise in said cannabis based publication, so staking out those stores is basically ILLEGAL!
They way they worded that Quote-The Missouri Highway Patrol monitors stores that sell hydroponic equipment, and authorities use those sales to bust marijuana-grow operations.
Shows that the MO. Highway patrol is blatantly violating the law and the decision by the US supreme court.

This post is to inform the mass populace, If you know anyone affected by this string of busts Please relate this relevant information to them, for their own good.
 
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