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Posted on 01/16/2003 9:26:15 PM PST by Sparta
LONDON, Ky. -- A major marijuana roundup in Eastern Kentucky resulted in federal indictments of 17 people accused of cultivating nearly 4,000 plants.
U.S. Attorney Greg Van Tatenhove of the Eastern District of Kentucky said the joint federal, state and local investigations announced yesterday show authorities are serious about cracking down on the ''most widely used illicit drug in America.''
''We're still in the midst of the battle,'' Van Tatenhove said at a news conference on the indictments.
The two-day roundup of suspects that ended yesterday resulted in nine drug busts in seven counties -- Breathitt, Knott, Knox, Pulaski, Rockcastle, Wayne and Whitley. Some of the marijuana was cultivated indoors, Van Tatenhove said.
The largest bust netted more than 1,300 plants in Knox County. Van Tatenhove said the plants were grown between April and September.
The defendants each face up to 40 years in prison and a $2 million fine if convicted of manufacturing in excess of 100 marijuana plants.
The announcement yesterday was made at the London headquarters for the Appalachia High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area office, a federal and state task force that battles illegal drug trafficking in the region.
Frank Rapier, deputy director of the task force, said the confiscated plants weighed a total of 176 pounds and had a total value of between $350,000 and $500,000.
Van Tatenhove said marijuana use has become an epidemic in Eastern Kentucky, although it receives less attention than prescription-drug abuse and methamphetamine use.
At a drug summit in Paintsville in November, Tom Manzi, a Drug Enforcement Administration supervisor who works with Kentucky on drug issues, said abuse of prescription drugs -- including OxyContin, Tylox and Vicadin -- remains the ''most serious drug threat in Eastern Kentucky.''
But Van Tatenhove, citing national statistics, said 62 percent of drug addicts are marijuana abusers.
According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, marijuana is the leading cash crop in Kentucky, West Virginia and Tennessee. The states comprise only 4 percent of the U.S. population but produce 28 percent of the nation's marijuana.
The federal agency eradicated 700,000 marijuana plants in Kentucky last year.
Rapier said much of the marijuana grown in the region is sent to other parts of the country. ''Not all of it is being used here, but it's still very startling,'' he said.
Van Tatenhove said Eastern Kentucky continues to have a ''particularly egregious problem'' with marijuana.
It's a climate and soil thing.
Frank Rapier, deputy director of the task force, said the confiscated plants weighed a total of 176 pounds and had a total value of between $350,000 and $500,000.
Hmmm, that doesn't really sound like that much does it?
According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, marijuana is the leading cash crop in Kentucky, West Virginia and Tennessee. The states comprise only 4 percent of the U.S. population but produce 28 percent of the nation's marijuana.
This site (White House drug policy site) says that American spends $11 billion a year on pot. 28% of that would be a bit over $3 billion. Now, a little math says that they have therefore intercepted less than .02% of the yearly crop in those three states with this bust.
U.S. Attorney Greg Van Tatenhove of the Eastern District of Kentucky said the joint federal, state and local investigations announced yesterday show authorities are serious about cracking down on the ''most widely used illicit drug in America.''
Yessir, 100 more busts like that, and they'll be getting close to 2% of the crop from those three states! That's how serious they are!
To quote a line from The Man with One Red Shoe, "They must think we're stupid."
So, with a cabinet level drug czar in place, tens of billions of our tax dollars spent every year, and expanded police powers, why have you botched it so badly?
Because the War On Some Drugs is inherently unwinnable. (Not that I think you didn't know that.)
No, because we tolerate this drug jihad and the slobbering idiots that run it, they know we're stupid.
On the plus side, we've finally found a Federal Farm program that works.
If a plant was infertile... it could have weighed 50 pounds alone and it would be worthless.
IT GROWS WILD THERE!!!!
I wonder what would happen if somebody just took up a turbo prop, and randomly dropped marijuana seeds over a state county by county. Would be amusing to see law enforcement officers arresting themselves for the plant growing in their back yard. Maybe they could confiscate their own homes.
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