Not all the news is good news....

ISO2BWELL

Folks, I gotta say again...the Fed's are ramping up their efforts...and they have badges, guns and judges to back it up. Folks in Fla. ...you best be watching yer collective asses...Old Man Johnny Law is out go get you, and it seems there won't be any mercy.

Some of their reasoning is flat out BS, IMO. Saying that "Grow houses are not only furthering this dangerous drug trade within our state, they are bringing violent crime into our neighborhoods,” .

The drug trade has always been there, and a drug that is truly heinous...cocaine. Now they blame the most mellow, non-offensive stuff on the plant for bringing in violence? Over what?

ISO

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Landmark bill targeting marijuana grow houses becomes law

Last Edited: Tuesday, 17 Jun 2008, 3:46 PM CDT
Created: Tuesday, 17 Jun 2008, 3:46 PM CDT

Marijuana Plant FOX10 News

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Attorney General Bill McCollum announced Tuesday that the Marijuana Grow House Eradication Act has been signed into law, giving Florida’s prosecutors and law enforcement essential tools to combat for-profit growers of marijuana.

The new law, sponsored by Senator Steve Oelrich (R-Gainesville) and Representative Nick Thompson (R-Ft. Myers), passed as House Bill 173 during the 2008 Legislative Session and was signed into law by Governor Charlie Crist Tuesday. The bill was developed because of the increasing number of grow houses operating in the state and violent crime which tend to be associated with these operations.

“Grow houses are not only furthering this dangerous drug trade within our state, they are bringing violent crime into our neighborhoods,” said Attorney General McCollum. “This new law will help protect our families and communities.”

The new law makes it a second-degree felony to grow 25 or more plants, targeting for-profit growers who exploit Florida’s previous threshold of 300 plants. The law will also make it a third-degree felony to own a house for the purpose of cultivating, packaging and distributing marijuana and a first-degree felony to grow 25 or more plants in a home with children present.

“Marijuana is the most commonly used illegal drug in America and we must take a stand against the for-profit growers who were previously exploiting higher thresholds,” said Sen. Oelrich. “By lowering the number of plants necessary for criminal charges, we’ve given Florida’s authorities valuable tools in the fight against these criminal operations.”

"Grow houses have become a very real threat to the safety and security in too many Florida communities," said Representative Thompson.

"Floridians who use grow houses to traffic drugs belong in prison. This law sends the message loud and clear that if you grow, you go. I am grateful to Attorney General Bill McCollum for his support and Governor Crist for signing this bill into law."

Recent statistics reveal the alarming increase in the number of grow houses being maintained in Florida as well as the ever-developing levels of sophistication of grow house operations. Marijuana grow houses primarily specializing in hydroponic marijuana have been detected in more than 40 of Florida’s 67 counties and within the past few months, cooperative efforts by law enforcement statewide have taken down more than 140 houses and seized more than $41.6 million worth of marijuana.

Another recent case out of Palm Beach County brought charges against 29 people who were part of a drug trafficking ring which operated and maintained 25 marijuana grow houses throughout Palm Beach County and one in Miami-Dade County.

Other important aspects of the law will provide substantial benefits to Florida’s law enforcement community. Previously, law enforcement around the state were required to store cumbersome grow house equipment in order to preserve it as evidence.

To address this growing storage burden, the new law allows a photograph or video recording of equipment used in the cultivation of a marijuana plant to be considered as evidence in the prosecution of the crime. The law will also allow law enforcement to destroy grow house equipment upon the completion of all investigations and provides immunity from any civil liability to law enforcement for the destruction of the grow house equipment.

The Marijuana Grow House Eradication Act goes into effect on July 1, 2008.

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ileso

well the law seems to be targeting especifically for profit organized crime... dealers and such... it seems to leave out the little guy, of course laws like this are often open to interpretation which is the real bummer...

peace
ileso

4kaan4

Open to interpretation...

Kinda like the no knock law claiming "reasonable suspicion"...


Later,
4kaan4

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I am an incorrigible, pathological fantasizer fabricating illusionary amusements for various individuals. In other words I lie like a politician. I refuse to break the law because I intend to live my life till the day I die!

green_nobody

if you bet on that you have to check what they do today. Do they go for big violent gangsters? No, they go for the old hippy and his pot as he is non violent and they will be home tonight save and sound.

that they bust big operations is seldom, they bust mainly little private grows that just cover your own consume - a big bust happens only if someone is dumb or does a big mistake that gives the operation away, else they go unspotted for years. Guess why LEO never tells how they find big operations: just by plain luck they stumble into those from time to time.

this is just another law to rage war on Florida's citizens, won't end the war as it heats up prohibition again which will raise street prices, which make the business even more profitable and will let it grow even more. Or worse you get the Hawaii effect. when they almost managed to get the islands cannabis free it opened the marked to crystal meth and you all know how the story went from there.

If hey want to do something they would get all these silly laws of the book, but as they want to continue this endless war they heat it up with this.

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http://www.pch.gc.ca/progs/cpsc-ccsp...Canada-eng.MP3

4kaan4

Heaven forbid they should risk their lives enforcing the law, which is probably why violent criminals usually never get caught, let alone prosecuted.

Later,
4kaan4

__________________
I am an incorrigible, pathological fantasizer fabricating illusionary amusements for various individuals. In other words I lie like a politician. I refuse to break the law because I intend to live my life till the day I die!

snickelfritz

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