Dreading Jamieson Canyon's Latest Change

Smokin Moose

Fallen Cannabis Warrior & Ex Moderator
Each summer, the Napa Special Investigations Bureau runs a series of grow-op busts, taking down large areas in the Napa County hills where marijuana is growing. With each pot bust, NSIB leaders estimate the street value of the now-gone cash crop in the tens of millions of dollars.

I went along last year with Sgt. John Robertson of the county Sheriff's Department to see the remnants of a large grow-op in the hills above Bothe Napa Valley State Park, seeing the destruction of natural vegetation, diversion of water and the trashed campsites set up by the growers/workers. A small group of what were apparently well-armed men had been brought in from out of the area to spend 24 hours a day at the site, accessible by hiking up barely existing steep paths, and tend to a rather expansive cash crop.

Irrigation paths had been set up, where water was being diverted illegally from private property owners to nourish the pot plants. Large areas were set up as makeshift drying racks for the harvested plants, and the land itself was scarred from where vegetation had been ripped out to wake way for the marijuana growing operation.

Some of the plants had reached a height of a few feet above my head. I'm only 5-foot-9, so it is not ALL that impressive, but they were tall, nonetheless.

County crews had already cleared the vast majority of the plants by the time I arrived, leaving them in waist-high stacks throughout the site. The stacks were later hauled out by using helicopters to hoist them up and fly them out to be disposed of in some place marijuana users would have gathered in droves to inhale the burning remnants and rejoiced in the free contacts high.

This was not only a massive growing effort, it was a massive effort by county law enforcement to get rid of the illegal operation. Numerous people were involved in this overnight effort to try and catch the suspects, watch over the site until the daylight hours, and then rip out the plants and haul them away to be destroyed, only to set off the very next day in search of more grow-ops in the county.

I spent a few years living north of the border, seeing how the British Columbia populace -- and the Canadian populace in general -- placed far less of an emphasis on eradicating marijuana and finding marijuana users than takes place in the U.S. Seeing the differences leads me to ask ...

Is this how money should be allocated in Napa County, to track down and clear these illegal grow-ops, or is there something different that should be done?

Maybe the emphasis should be on stopping petty thefts and crimes like car and house break-ins, where the majority of the thieves are stealing items just to resell them so they have money to but marijuana, meth and other illegal drugs.

Perhaps the need is to legalize marijuana, eliminating the need for secret growing operations and a force dedicated to getting rid of pot plants?

News Hawk: Smokin Moose 420 MAGAZINE ® - Medical Marijuana Publication & Social Networking
Source: Napa Valley Register (CA)
Copyright: 2008 Lee Enterprises
Contact: napaopinion@napanews.com
Website: Napa Valley Register | Local news for the Napa Valley
 
I didn't see that story coming to the conclusion that it did. I've often wondered if law enforcement actually desires to see cannabis eradicated. If cannabis were eradicated or legalized, many government agencies would loose funding, properties would no longer be available for confiscation and prison populations would dwindle. However, popularity of cannabis has saturated the populace and complete eradication no longer seems a valid avenue to take. Busting car thieves and petty thefts don't pay law enforcements' bills, cannabis does. Thus the lies and propaganda continue; after all, law enforcement needs new vehicles and sophisticated detection devises that can't be paid for but with your property and mine. It is time to end prohibition. In a "free society," shouldn't the people be able to decide to end this perpetual cat and mouse game that is ruining lives to fund law enforcement?
 
The United States grows Cannabis on a MASSIVE SCALE. It just gets better by the day, thanks to us :)

They could never hope to eliminate even 15% of the crops in this country. Why not sell a grower lic. for 150-300 bucks and have random inspections required 1-4 times a year? Then, if anything is sold to a retail outlet, it can be documented and taxed.
 
Having been,seen, heard of, and part of, many outdoor guerilla grows over the last 35 years,working along side many of the Campesino's in a few differnt countries, the same ol' bottom line comes into play. ILLEGALITY. The fact that the National Forest or Federal Forest Reserves, being used to facilitate large scale marijuana production, does screw up the natural growth of an area. But, this for now is a way of life for many who earn their livings.
"Why not sell a grower lic. for 150-300 bucks and have random inspections required 1-4 times a year? Then, if anything is sold to a retail outlet, it can be documented and taxed." Boss is absolutely on track here as for the last 38 years many of my associates believe this should happen. The fee should be according to the # of plants growing, and inspections, taxation and etc....This would greatly reduce the need for illegal Forest Growing operations, and focus the safety, finanacial amounts truly back into local regions.
Admitting there is something about hiking into a tropical rain forest and watching your plants becoming beautiful mature women amongst the natural earth settings, is breathtaking. However, at what cost are we actually aware of by doing this?
More than likely the large grow ops in the National and or State forests are producing revenue galore for many individuals and communities. Also when these areas are discovered,dismantled and showcased by Law enforcement it adds that negative control and effect on many citizens, that Law enforcement wants to create. This is one of many jobs that Law Enforcement are being tasked to do, and the citizens are still paying them for that service.
When the current laws are ammended to reduce this behavior in Law Enforcement and redirect their tasks, as are payed for by the people, results will follow.
There is no reason that large scale marijuana growing cannot be accomplished on private land. The taxable income alone can be a large part of many counties,state, & federal budget systems. The employment that will generate from this is also a shift to the "Greener" side.
I find this somewhat ironic that the many people, politicians, and laws are being switched to a greener approach, Leeds Certification for buildings,great!! and they are rarely considering cannabis in their approach. The age old stigmatism attached to Cannabis is still there. The Scare Tactics., mis information by the Governments and Organizations that may not have their facts correct, as well as pro Cannabis party members, who may not have their facts correct either. In either case, dialogue & communication are essential for both sides to present in open forum and to question each other.

Keep on showing the many who are not educated about the "GREEN" effects of Cannabis, in a fact educated approach, benefits of, and the possible down side effects We are in a constant culture changing era, we need to keep passing on the values of cannabis to the future of the world at this point in history.
By not doing so, would be a detriment of society to the ones who will follow us into the fututre.
 
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