slowthestone

The federal government is not going to pull back on its efforts to curtail marijuana farming operations, Gil Kerlikowske, director of the White House's Office of National Drug Control Policy, said Wednesday in Fresno.

The nation's drug czar, who viewed a foothill marijuana farm on U.S. Forest Service land with state and local officials earlier Wednesday, said the federal government will not support legalizing marijuana.
"Legalization is not in the president's vocabulary, and it's not in mine," he said.

Kerlikowske said he can understand why legislators are talking about taxing marijuana cultivation to help cash-strapped government agencies in California. But the federal government views marijuana as a harmful and addictive drug, he said.

"Marijuana is dangerous and has no medicinal benefit," Kerlikowske said in downtown Fresno while discussing Operation SOS -- Save Our Sierra -- a multiagency effort to eradicate marijuana in eastern Fresno County.


Marijuana plants valued at more than $1.26 billion have been confiscated and 82 people arrested over the past 10 days in Fresno County. The operation started last week and is continuing. By comparison, Tulare County's leading commodity -- milk -- was valued at about $1.8 billion in 2008.

Officials say the marijuana-eradication operation will cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, but the exact amount won't be known until agencies can add up staffing, vehicle and other costs.

In Operation SOS, more than 314,000 plants were uprooted in 70 gardens -- numbers expected to rise as the enforcement action continues. Agents also seized $41,000 in cash, 26 firearms and three vehicles.

Planning for the operation began in February and focused on marijuana crops being backed by Mexican drug cartels, Fresno County Sheriff Margaret Mims said.

Mims said many cartels are involved, but she would not name any because the investigation is still under way. All but one person arrested was from Mexico, officials said.

One hundred growers may still be on the loose, said Fresno County sheriff's Lt. Rick Ko. Many may have gotten rides out of the area, but some could still be in the Sierra, Ko said. Last year, Fresno County deputies seized 188,000 marijuana plants. In just one week, nearly twice as many plants were seized, Mims said, "so you can imagine how many we were missing."

Statewide, more than 5.3 million plants were seized in 2008, or two of every three confiscated in the United States, said Bill Ruzzamenti, director of the Central Valley High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area.

"The amount of drugs out there scares most of us," he said.
Volunteers are going into the gardens to clean up trash, dead animals and pesticides to return the land as close to its original condition as possible. But it could take years for the land to recover, because little can be done once fertilizers and pesticides seep into the ground or stream beds.
"For every acre of marijuana grown, 10 acres are damaged," said George Anderson with the California Department of Justice.

squirrel_master

two words......





FUCK HIM!!

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Gr0wer

brainless....

- Gr0

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burndt

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Pesci

I am not surprised. One would not get the job if they did not support the status quo. No one is going to get appointed to that position with it being public knowledge they want to tear this thing down


Those in power want to remain in power. Simple as that.

Grow some balls and be a man Mr. Drug Czar. Step on up to the plate for the big win. Surprise the nation for once and follow your heart, not your ass

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potato salad123

haha and they ignore the fact that its only being grown in these national parks BECAUSE it cant be legally grown on our own property. i mean i know they're talking about mexicans mostly but still... if we could all grow in our homes they wouldn't have a market to sell to.

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smokey the bare

In the words of Douglas Adams:

"Oh no, not again"

I am sadly disappointed, and more than a little pissed off.

And I don't even live in the USA.

Fucking feds and their fucking mantra is getting real real fucking old, like a bad commercial shown way too many times.

I'm going to bury my head in a bong for the rest of the day. Bad karma.

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420Stylez

i would have to agree with squirrel.... fuck him right in his lying mouth.... becuase of shit spewing from this guy we have to worry about methane.... if the politiicians would shut up and listen they might cool the earth by a few degrees... i dont understand how fertilizer used to "help" stuff grow is harmful to the enviroment..... pesticide i can understand... why would there be animals that people would have to clean up? from the pesticides?.... how do you arrest 84 people and only seize 3 cars? were they packed in together? how do you have billions in pot plants and 41,000 in cash? this is a true government story 15% truth, 80% bullshit and 5% of whatever the locals wanted to put in.... this story is a math problem and it doesnt add up..... just my ..... PEACE..

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slowthestone

Careful what ya wish for...

Kerliowske's heart has all but abandoned his 39 year old, repeat marijuana offender of a son.

Didn't mind using him during his czar nomination acceptance...“In my own family, I have experienced the effects that drugs can have on our youth, our families and our communities,"

Otherwise his heart says..."It's been well over a decade since I saw him or spoke to him. I think I'll leave it at that."

Lou Cypher

Have anybody else noticed that all the "top" men against mj have [communist] last names?

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