cannabisnews.com: Nation's Drug Czar Makes Stop in Tulare County Nation's Drug Czar Makes Stop in Tulare County Posted by CN Staff on August 06, 2008 at 17:56:09 PT By Alex K.W. Schultz Source: Porterville Recorder Visalia, CA -- Last week’s drug bust involving a massive marijuana grow site above Porterville is drawing national attention with the arrival today of the nation’s drug czar.Ten media outlets, including CNN and CNBC, converged on the National Guard Armory building in Visalia shortly after noon for a press conference to address the relative success of the joint operation. John Walters, director of the White House’s Office of National Drug Control Policy, McGregor Scott, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of California, and Tulare County Sheriff Bill Wittman each spent several minutes answering reporters’ questions.Thursday’s drug raid, which involved federal and state agencies, confiscated 26,363 marijuana plants from public lands located in the Blue Ridge area, a Joint Information Center news release said.Additionally, 7,100 feet — 1 1-2 miles — of irrigation tubing, more than 2,000 pounds of garbage and hazardous waste, more than 200 pounds of fertilizer and two gallons of pesticides were removed, authorities report.“This task force has a sense of passion, a sense of confidence,” Scott said, “because we’re having success.”The ongoing operation, dubbed Operation LOCCUST (Locating Organized Cannabis Cultivators Using Saturation Tactics), has led to the seizure of about $1.4 billion in marijuana plants and 36 arrests, authorities report.The suspects were booked on suspicion of crimes including cultivation of marijuana, possession of marijuana for sale, child endangerment, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and conspiracy, authorities report.“Most of [the 36 felons] are illegal immigrants,” Wittman said.The operation, which began in November, has cumulatively eradicated 340,685 plants — 138.7 pounds — and amassed $6,900 in cash, 27 weapons, eight ounces of cocaine, three vehicles and 2.5 pounds of methamphetamines.More than 245 filled trash bags weighing a combined 14,500 pounds, 26.9 miles of irrigation pipe, 1,824 pounds of fertilizer, 22 pounds of pesticides and 30 gallons of liquid chemicals have been removed from the 83 grow sites across Tulare County, authorities report.“It’s a massive undertaking,” Scott said, “because our opponents, those who are growing these gardens, by design choose extremely remote, hard-to-get-to locations.”Walters, the nation’s drug czar, said he is proud of what federal, state and local agencies have recently accomplished.“It’s so important for the whole country because [the marijuana] is being shipped across the border,” he said, “and it’s being used to destabilize the government of Mexico.”John Baker, California Department of Fish and Game assistant chief, said innocent people could be affected by pot growers’ actions.“The amount of fertilizers they’re putting on these places, those nitrates can leech into the water and eventually wind up on our water tables,” he said.Baker said 10 acres are affected for every acre used by marijuana growers.These statistics are good enough reason for officials to continue the raid.“Our objective is to drive [the growers] out of here,” Scott said, “and that’s what we’re going to do.”Complete Title: Nation's Drug Czar Makes Stop in Tulare County To Tout OperationSource: Porterville Recorder (CA)Author: Alex K.W. SchultzPublished: August 5, 2008Copyright: 2008 Freedom Communications Inc.Website: http://www.recorderonline.comContact: http://drugsense.org/url/ef66tETKCannabisNews ONDCP Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/ONDCP.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #18 posted by user123 on August 09, 2008 at 11:34:02 PT: Puh-leeze $1.4 billion in marijuana plants..................here's how you get that $$$$ amount. You roll all the stuff up & sell it one joint at a time, ta-da, 1.4 billion! [ Post Comment ] Comment #17 posted by rchandar on August 08, 2008 at 07:26:11 PT: afterburner Thanks for your comment. No, I think that sobriety road tests and paraphenalia laws are intrusions into our citizen rights, that's true. BUT, the tax stamps have got to go. They are much more of a legal problem in that they represent something very anti-democracy in a way that the other two don't.Testing people for sobriety is not a real hindrance. All drivers should be sober.And paraphenalia laws aren't really that big of a deal. They'll never be able to ban cigarette papers, for example.But tax stamps are a real black mark, and a dangerous one. It's like saying, "you must first register with us as a criminal, before you commit crimes. Else, we will penalize you much worse when we get you." It ignores the legal process, and is a dangerous precedent that probably has been misused thousands of times. This is about making sure the law is sympathetic to nonviolent offenders, and no one who is basically "innocent" gets screwed.--rchandar [ Post Comment ] Comment #16 posted by observer on August 07, 2008 at 23:36:28 PT brimstone, sword, beast Looks to be a pattern -http://www.google.ca/search?q=Operation+Brimstonehttp://www.google.com/search?q=Operation+Swordhttp://www.google.com/search?q=Operation+Southern+Beast [ Post Comment ] Comment #15 posted by FoM on August 07, 2008 at 21:00:16 PT afterburner This is an interesting article about Obama by Dan Gardner. Dan Gardner has written excellent articles on our issue. It's a good read I think.http://drugsense.org/url/iNLd0HoX [ Post Comment ] Comment #14 posted by Hope on August 07, 2008 at 20:18:00 PT Comment 10 Observer That's all rather alarming. [ Post Comment ] Comment #13 posted by afterburner on August 07, 2008 at 19:35:02 PT rchandar #11 & 12 The original Marihuana Tax Stamps of 1937 were declared unconstitutional in 1969 Leary v. United States because they did require self-incrimination, and by some accounts were not even issued. http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/History/e1960/learyvus.htmMore recent tax stamp laws have taken great pains to allow the sale of tax stamps without the presumption of guilt, for example, sales to stamp collectors. However, this is mere indirect, devious legal obfuscation if the lack of stamps increases penalties. It could be viewed as "cruel and unusual punishment." Similarly, paraphrenalia laws which contain greater and additional punishments could be viewed as "cruel and unusual punishment" by clever constitutional lawyers.Roadside drug tests that test for inactive metabolites instead of impairment of driving fall into the same category, promoting indirect prohibition not highway safety. Ditto for workplace drug tests that test for inactive metabolites instead of actual impairment: they promote indirect prohibition, not workplace safety.Prohibition of hemp farming is not rational, nor just; it is a veiled attempt to keep medical cannabis illegal.Once the tragic excesses of the Bush administration are history, irrational prohibition will be open to future judicial review. [ Post Comment ] Comment #12 posted by rchandar on August 07, 2008 at 17:32:05 PT: Tax Stamps, cont'd I wish to continue to make the case. Penalties for pot possession/selling are determined through committee hearings, votes, and the negotiations of political representatives in the State Congress, or are the result of voter referenda where the citizen decides the fate of an initiative or bill. "Tax Stamps" give the cops an unwarranted leeway to punish far outside of their commissioned authority that is responsible to the laws written in the legislature. Many of these "tax stamps" laws threaten jail sentences of up to 5 years on charges which (maximum) threaten 1 year of jail plus fine. This is unacceptable, folks. It has to be changed if we are to do what is right.--rchandar [ Post Comment ] Comment #11 posted by rchandar on August 07, 2008 at 16:25:10 PT: Tax Stamps I hate to breach this engaging discussion, but could CN run an article about the legality of tax stamps? Here lies a silent atrocity in our Drug War: it requires users and sellers to admit they are criminals without the benefit of being charged with an actual crime. Then it penalizes offenders who are already facing stiff sentences.I think if we made the effort, NORML could get the Supreme Court to declare "tax stamps" unconstitutional.--rchandar [ Post Comment ] Comment #10 posted by observer on August 07, 2008 at 15:45:29 PT THE LOCUST MILITARY ORGANIZATION The ongoing operation, dubbed Operation LOCCUST (Locating Organized Cannabis Cultivators Using Saturation Tactics), has led to the seizure of about $1.4 billion in marijuana plants and 36 arrests, authorities report.LOCCUST... locust... Where was it I was hearing so much about locusts? Oh yes, here it was.http://www.google.com/search?q=locust+site%3Abible.cc [ Post Comment ] Comment #9 posted by potpal on August 07, 2008 at 14:09:55 PT more like Nation's chief cannaphob, John Walters. More of the dog and pony show, nothing new. Do it again next year. Thanks for the cushy goverment job playing in the forest chasing the terrorist gardeners and smashing their stuff. [ Post Comment ] Comment #8 posted by FoM on August 07, 2008 at 11:25:26 PT News Article From The Baltimore Sun Berwyn Heights Mayor To Ask for Investigation Into RaidBy Doug Donovan, Sun Reporter August 7, 2008Berwyn Heights' mayor is expected today to ask federal officials to investigate possible civil rights violations stemming from last week's raid of his Prince George's County home by police officers who shot and killed his two dogs, his attorney said.Complete Article: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bal-mayor0807,0,4563211.story [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by Sam Adams on August 07, 2008 at 11:00:40 PT fertilizer It's so funny that the only time chemical nitrogen fertilizer is mentioned in a negative light is with cannabis growing.There is a huge plume of death extending into the Gulf of Mexico from chemmie nitrogen fertilizer in the Mississippi, it has increased since we're growing more corn for ethanol.Great idea! Pump some oil out the Arab desert, ship it all the way over here, refine it into nitrogen ferts (that's where it comes from), the dump it into the ground to grow corn to burn even more gas. Then it flows to the Gulf and kills every living thing in the water. My number 1 complaint with cannabis prohibition is the lack of 100% organic herb available - i.e., zero in the commercial market. [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by Zandor on August 07, 2008 at 09:04:30 PT 1.4 Billion in plants and only 6,900 in cash?? I don't agree with growing in national parks, but I disagree with the PIG Walters and his lies even more.I known fact is if they allow us to take care of our selfs there would be NO problem. If they allowed clubs to grow their own indoors or outdoors with proper security there would be NO problems.The largest problem is Walters and his 1960's style of paramilitary enforcement along with the draconian law on the books based on BS-science and lies made up by the government just to keep one segment of the population under control and out of the way.If the government cared so much about it's people then they would end the raid on medical marijuana dispensary's and allow those of us who have cards and medical needs to care for our selfs and our friends.But they won't, the Government prefers to keep people scared and in fear of the Government. That way they will not object when the Government rapes the people, raid's our treasury to pay for a war for oil and no bid contracts to friends. They have stoled Billions of dollars from the people all with the blessing of the Dumb-a-crates & republicans in congress who are complicit in that crime.The American Government is nothing more then thief's, thugs and lairs who ware ties to work! They are the real criminals here.PeaceZ [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by dongenero on August 07, 2008 at 08:28:15 PT 200 lbs fertilizer? 2 gallons of pesticide? Hell, I probably have 2 gallons of pesticide in my garage.200lbs of fertilizer? Any idea how much fertilizer, herbicide and pesticide is sprayed across this country per year? In the US, between 17 million and 21 million tons a year of fertilizer. U.S. pesticide amount used in both 2000 and 2001 exceeded 1.2 billion pounds.In my opinion go organic by all means. But, don't try to act like an inorganically fertilized cannabis plot is the equivalent of Chernobyl. The majority of our food supply is grown with the same chemicals, probably at a higher rate of use. [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by FoM on August 07, 2008 at 08:00:14 PT runruff I hope it is the last hurrah too. I am looking forward to the new year. [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by runruff on August 07, 2008 at 07:39:49 PT Their last Hurrah! Every villain has one, I hope this will be it for the paper tiger drug czar and his blithering minions! [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by DCP on August 06, 2008 at 20:33:42 PT I DON'T BELIEVE IT Walters, the nation’s drug czar, said he is proud of what federal, state and local agencies have recently accomplished.“It’s so important for the whole country because [the marijuana] is being shipped across the border,” he said, “and it’s being used to destabilize the government of Mexico.”Shipped across the border? Destabilize? Ridiculous! The Mexician government is being destabilized by the Drug War. Walters is losing it. [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by RevrayGreen on August 06, 2008 at 18:44:56 PT Tale of the tape “Most of [the 36 felons] are illegal immigrants,” Wittman said.for every 1 grow they raid the cartels plant 10. [ Post Comment ] Post Comment