DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Everything Else... $1.19 billion worth of marijuana seized in massive drug bust in California

Might be a little dry for a while.

$1.19 billion worth of marijuana seized in massive drug bust in California
BY TORI B. POWELL
JULY 8, 2021 / 7:09 AM / CBS NEWS

Authorities in Southern California have seized more than 16 tons of marijuana worth an estimated $1.19 billion, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department officials said Wednesday. The 10-day sting is the largest eradication of illegal marijuana cultivations in the history of the department.

The operation, which began on June 8, resulted in 22 felony arrests, 109 misdemeanor arrests, and 19 arrests from water theft enforcement teams, officials said. More than 200 locations were served with search warrants. Nearly 375,000 marijuana plants and 33,480 pounds of harvested marijuana were seized, along with 65 vehicles, 180 animals and $28,000.

Officials say they believe international cartels are behind the illegal large-scale marijuana farms.

"We're talking about the cartels," Lancaster, California, Mayor Rex Parris said at a Wednesday press conference. "We are not talking about mom and pop people selling marijuana that they grew in their backyard. This is the cartels. We are very very close to driving down the freeway and seeing bodies hanging from the overpasses. That is what's coming."

While California legalized the recreational use of marijuana in 2018, illegal grows of the crop have been on the rise in the state. Detectives from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Narcotic Bureau identified over 500 illegal marijuana cultivations in 2021, increasing from the 150 identified in 2020, according to a June statement. Detectives found that the average size per cultivation at farms increased to 15 greenhouses, up from eight per farm in the year prior.

"What we want to do is send a clear and loud message to the cartels and anyone doing an illegal operation in the high desert: Your days are over and we're coming for you," said Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva.

Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger said the impacts of illegal marijuana cultivation by cartels include water theft, human trafficking, pollution and threats to safety and security.

"This illegal activity is impacting the quality of life for residents and businesses and if left unaddressed will have long lasting and devastating affects in the region," Barger said.

She called on the district attorney to prosecute those arrested in the operation. Villanueva said that he will share the district attorney's prosecution decision publicly once it's made available.

"This is an issue that is plaguing, and will continue to plague, if we do not make it very uncomfortable and one way to make it uncomfortable is to prosecute," Barger said.

https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/marijuana-seized-california-billion-illegal-cultivation/

In other news, The US Federal Government has made Marijuana legal and is opening dispensaries all over the US this week.

What gets me is that when they do these raids, they take the weight of the entire undried plants, including stems, root balls and attached soil, then use that number divided by what trimmed, dried and cured marijuana is selling for on the the street. The monetary value of the busts are greatly inflated.

That said, they still confiscated a lot of pot and the problem of illegal grow operations is getting worse.

j/c:

Could have been a lot of tax dollars in that.

And they will continue to get worse as history has taught us. It's like waging a war with no end. Sunken cost with no way to win it.

Legalization is the best answer, just like it was during prohibition.

Yes, but now you're dwelling on the past. We can never lock forward when we do that. We can never be allowed to learn from the past.

Oregon had something like a million and a half pound surplus last year. Since it can’t be transported/sold over state lines it was tossed out. It holds almost no street value in Oregon. It’s legal to grow 4 plants in your home/yard. There’s plenty of dispensaries selling Oregon herb to those that can’t grow their own. It’s super cheap. You can buy grams for $2. Ounces for $50-70. For comparison sake, 20 years ago in Ohio good quality bud ran about $350-400 an ounce.
Legalize it federally. Allow over (state) border commerce and the cartels will have to move on. It won’t be worth their effort and man power to stay in the market.

But now you're trying to bring logic to the topic. That has never been a popular idea.

Just curious....

Does Portland have the adequate climate to grow outside or do most residences grow indoors under controlled temperatures?

If it is the latter, I'm guessing more than 4 plants are in the mix for the more enthusiastic participant that would also like to decrease their purchases on the product at stores?

It’s a mix. At least in the circles I know. And most guys don’t go over four plants because well grown, four plants can produce far more than even a heavy smoker can smoke. It’s just given to friends.
We have warm dry summers which makes for good conditions for outdoor cultivation. The end of the season can get a little wet up north in the state where I am. There’s ways of mitigating that for the backyard guy. The big farms tend to be in the southern part of the state. It’s drier longer down there. Their rainy season is a few weeks behind ours.

Do an image search for …. Southern Oregon cannabis farm

Those farms keep the entire state stockpiled. No need for the cartel.

I agree,, I doubt we ever beat back the love americans have for the weed

This is why JulesDawg and I are in lockstep when it comes to the 'war on drugs.'

Mankind has been self-medicating with plants and their derivatives for thousands upon thousands of years. It's pretty much encoded into our DNA. Cannabis, mescaline, peyotl, opium, caffeine, even fermented grains and grapes. All of them are designed to alter normal consciousness to one degree or another.

The War was never designed to actually slow or stop consumption. That it was allowed to persist (and dominate a large percentage of law enforcement resources) for as long as it did/has, is a testament to how powerful messaging and marketing can be. America was sold on this public policy for almost 50 years, in its modern incarnation. As a result, countless thousands of lives have been ruined/damaged/altered by laws that are hopelessly ineffectual at curbing mankind's desire for consciousness-altering substances.

The current in vogue talking point is that this should be a mental health issue, instead of a crime/punishment issue. I agree and then I also don't agree. I agree in this sense: there are many, many citizens for whom substance use becomes self-abuse. They most definitely should be able to avail themselves of support services that help them step away, and back into health. For those others who partake in ways that do no harm to others or themselves, they should be left alone, free of gov't intrusion or societal pressure to 'fix a mental health problem' that may not exist.

.02

[img]https://www.discoverlosangeles.com/sites...2&auto=webp[/img]

"Dave's not here..."

One of the greatest skits of all time.

There's still drug busts on black market weed in Colorado. Legalizing it has not ended the war.

But, I thought if you legalized it, and made it cheaper, and taxed the hell out of it, the black market for weed would disappear?

Oh, wait..........no, won't happen.

The black market will just reduce the prices.

Kinda like the war on poverty hasn't done anything but create more poverty.

Kinda like the war on drugs has.............well, more drugs.

The war on gun crimes/murder? Oh, that's working so well, isn't it? But dammit, take guns from law abiding citizens cause that will work........wait, never mind.

News flash. Nobody is doing that nor have they attempted to do that. People have been claiming this since Bill Clinton was elected. Do you ever get tired of saying the same thing after decades of repeating it?

And BTW, weed isn't legal in all 50 states. Not even close. Until it is there will be a black market. It's just now it's more American weed then foreign weed. You know, "Buy American"!

Sure. There’ll likely always be a black market. The difference is the size of that market. If there’s a dispensary on every corner, like in Portland, most people will go there for their needs. It’s easy, cheap, legal, ‘safe’, and the selections are great But there will be some that have acquaintances that grow and have extra. In my circle those friends just give it away to their buddies. But I’m sure there are some that sell it. It’s just that there’s no real money in it like before the legalization. The over abundance has driven the costs down in the dispensaries and in turn in the black market. I have buddies that grow and can’t give enough of it away each year. So much so that they end up composting multiple ounces of last year’s bud each fall when their new crop comes in.
The cartels can’t make enough money here to bother with the hassle.

Port? Just curious.....

What's the "street" prices in Oregon?

In "yesteryear terms" it was "Nickle(one finger/quarter), Dime(2 fingers/half), Lid(3 fingers...3/4oz), and Ounce"(4 fingers).(one finger, two fingers, 3 finger, 4 fingers).

A nickle now is $80 in my neck of the woods, etc and drops incrementally the more you buy(a dime, a lid or an ounce).

Amazing how cannabis keeps it's potency over time. VERY small loss in potency.

Never ever go near the stuff.
Drugs are a disgusting waste and so many bad things happen where they are.
So many live are ruined because of that stuff.

I honestly don’t know. I have friends that cultivate and take care of me. I haven’t purchased for years.
Cannabis stores well when it’s cured. It’ll still catch you a buzz or whatnot for years. There are however some chemical compounds that change. Older cannabis will make you more sedated feeling.

I read your posts. The kind of drugs you need need prescribed.

While others lives are saved by it.

And you never should Throw. Pot kills brain cells and some people can't afford that.

Actually cannabis likely doesn’t kill brain cells. That’s another Reefer Madness era exaggeration. The studies are conflicting. There is proof that in adolescence heavy cannabis use can be harmful. But the studies on adults are generally inconclusive.
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/does-weed-kill-brain-cells

Now alcohol is a known neurotoxin that kills brain cells. That crap is poison. (To each their own… )
https://www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/h...ill-brain-cells

Well, since throw's whole post was a Reefer Madness era exaggeration, it seems fitting.

Just say Noooo...

Hotboxing in the corner... Puff, puff, pass!!

Cleveland.com article. Wouldn't let me copy the link hence just the article.

Is it time to legalize recreational marijuana in Ohio? Editorial Board Roundtable
Today 5:59 AM

Could marijuana legalization be coming to Ohio? Two Democratic lawmakers are crafting legislation and a ballot initiative effort is being launched. The Editorial Board Roundtable "weeds" in.
By Editorial Board, cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer

Two Cleveland-area Democrats -- state Reps. Casey Weinstein of Hudson and Terrence Upchurch of Cleveland -- are drafting legislation to legalize recreational marijuana in Ohio and create a way to tax and regulate it.

“There are definitely legislators on both sides of the aisle who support legalization. I will not out them,” Weinstein told Statehouse Bureau Chief Karen Kasler earlier this month. “But I have had that many conversations and have heard about quite a bit of support in the Senate, in the House - from both parties on the concept.”

The bill hasn’t yet been introduced, but according to Kasler’s July 15 report, would let most people 21 or older buy and possess up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana and grow up to 12 plants. It also would seal convictions of those with past convictions for actions made legal by the bill, and allow them to participate in marijuana commerce.

The website Marijuana Moment further reported that the bill would:

Levy a 10% excise tax on marijuana sales.
Direct that revenue first to defray cost of implementation, then “up to $20 million annually for two years for clinical trials researching the efficacy of marijuana in treating the medical conditions of veterans and preventing veteran suicide.”
Split remaining revenue, with 35% each going to K-12 schools and bridge and road repairs, and 15% each to municipalities and counties with cannabis shops, allocated based on the number of stores.

Maintain, without changes, the state’s medical marijuana program.
Weinstein and Upchurch believe the time is ripe for this measure but so far Ohio Republican lawmakers have shown no appetite for recreational marijuana legalization, nor has the measure made it onto the ballot as a citizens’ initiative, although a new attempt is launching. Cleveland.com’s Andrew J. Tobias reports that a group calling itself “The Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol” has begun an effort to get a full marijuana legalization initiative on the November 2022 ballot.

So what does our Editorial Board Roundtable think? Is it a great idea -- or a “weed” stinker?

Thomas Suddes, editorial writer:

De facto, it’s legal now, unless the police want a reason to charge someone and no other plausible charge is available. Opioids kill, weed doesn’t.

Ted Diadiun, columnist:
Rationalize all you like, but it’s a fact that marijuana impairs judgment, leads to harder drugs, and creates a potential menace on the “high” ways. The jury is still out on the long-range health implications of habitual use. The idea of legislators legalizing its recreational use in exchange for a few tax dollars is appalling.

Eric Foster, columnist:
There are now 19 states, plus the District of Columbia, that have legalized recreational marijuana use. Those states are still functioning. Their governments have not been toppled. The sky is still blue, and children still laugh and play. If we allow something as harmful as alcohol, we should allow something as harmless as marijuana.

Victor Ruiz, editorial board member:
The benefits of marijuana, including economic ones, are very well-documented, so legalization is a no-brainer. For those worried about the negative effects, I encourage them to learn about what alcohol and cigarettes do to our bodies and society. Lastly, we must expunge old records and free those incarcerated (most of whom are people of color).

Lisa Garvin, editorial board member:
I’m encouraged by a bill in the U.S. Senate to end the federal marijuana ban. It’s time for Ohio to legalize recreational use. We’ve seen medicinal marijuana spawn an industry that has provided ample tax revenues and small business opportunities. We must also remove barriers that have stymied research on marijuana’s benefits and downsides.

Mary Cay Doherty, editorial board member:
Legalizing a mind-altering, reality-numbing, gateway drug won’t improve lives or society. Marijuana’s long-term potential effects include addiction, impaired cognition, sleep problems, and even psychosis. Allocating revenue by the number of shops incentivizes cities and counties to promote drug use and addiction. Using revenue for education doesn’t justify bad legislation. Illegal bad things should remain illegal.
Elizabeth Sullivan, opinion director:

It’s long past time to legalize marijuana fully, and to study, fully, its health effects.

It's way past time to make it legal on a national level.

New Study Confirms No Relation Between Marijuana Legalization And Increased Use Among Teenagers


By Natan Ponieman
September 7, 2021 5:34 pm

A new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that marijuana legalization laws are not associated with increased use amongst high school students.

“Consistent with estimates from prior studies, there was little evidence that [recreational marijuana laws] or [medical marijuana laws] encourage youth marijuana use,” reads the paper.

The study builds upon a previous paper that used data from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) for the period 1993-2017, which found that marijuana adoption was associated with an 8% decrease in the odds of marijuana use among high school students.


This earlier study used pre-legalization and post-legalization data from only 7 states and pre– and post–recreational sales data from only 3 states. The new study included data from up to 2019, encompassing 10 legal adult-use states.

With these additional data, the study found that “medical marijuana law adoption was associated with a 6% decrease in the odds of current marijuana use and a 7% decrease in the odds of frequent marijuana use.”

When it comes to recreational use, the news study found that prior to legalization, there was no association with marijuana use in the states analyzed. After 2 or more years, recreational marijuana law adoption was associated with a decrease in marijuana use.

The study’s authors point out one limitation of this study in the fact that recreational marijuana laws are a relatively new phenomenon.

“As more post-legalization data become available, researchers will be able to draw firmer conclusions about the relationship between [recreational marijuana laws] and adolescent marijuana use,” concluded the authors.

https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cannabi...among-teenagers