Pubdate: Tue, 30 Jul 2001
Source: Southern Standard
Copyright: Southern Standard & The Smithville Review 2001
Contact:  http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?brd=941
Phone: 473-2191
Address: 105 College St., McMinnville, TN 37110
Fax: 473-6823
Author: Duane Sherrill

MORE MARIJUANA SPOTTED FROM THE SKY

With 652 plants seized Friday, the Warren County Sheriff's Department is 
ahead of pace to eclipse its own record for a single marijuana eradication 
season. According to Sheriff Jackie Matheny, the plant total for the season 
stands at 3,001, only 900 plants short of the record 3,900 plants plucked 
from area fields in 1999. This year's number is well ahead of the 
approximately 2,400 plants harvested last year.

"We're finding quite a bit this year," Matheny said. "We've done a huge lot 
already, more than we expected."

Matheny said he wonders if rumors the department would run out of money to 
fly its helicopters all season had an impact on how much marijuana was planted.

"Really, we haven't been finding a whole lot over the past few years, but 
now, all of a sudden, we're getting quite a bit every time we go out," 
Matheny said. "It makes me curious if some folks thought we wouldn't be 
able to fly all season and decided to get back into the local growing 
business."

Earlier in the year, Matheny had serious doubts the team could fly all 
season due to budget concerns. The flying missions are funded solely from 
drug fund money gained through drugs fines and drug forfeitures. Due to 
other expenditures being drawn from the fund, Matheny publicly announced he 
was unsure the team could fly an entire season, which usually runs from May 
through October. However, Matheny recently revealed there is money in the 
budget to continue the flying throughout the season.

"What ever the reason, we're finding it everywhere this year," Matheny said.

The sheriff's department has been flying marijuana eradication missions 
since 1997 when the federal government gave the pair of helicopters to the 
county for use in drug enforcement.

The most recent seizures Friday came in the Harrison Ferry-Rocky River 
areas. The seizures included some six-foot-tall plants along with numerous 
seedling plants, found in potting baskets ready to be planted in an 
isolated field.

While happy to find the plants, Matheny admitted his ultimate goal is to 
drive marijuana growers out of the county by making the job too risky.

"We can't really sit on the fields because it takes too long and takes too 
much manpower, but we sure can get their dope and that means a lot of 
dollars out of their pockets," Matheny said. "A lot of growers will not 
only sell it but they'll also trade it for other drugs. By getting their 
fields, we take that option away."
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