Pubdate: Mon, 15 Aug 2005 Source: Cherokee County Herald (AL) Copyright: 2005 Cherokee County Herald. Contact: http://news.mywebpal.com/index.cfm?pnpid=726 Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1912 ANNUAL SWEEP NETS 6,600 MARIJUANA PLANTS The annual sweep of the county by the Alabama Bureau of Investigation and National Guard turned up close to 6,000 marijuana plants with a street value of up to $18 million in a four-day run last week, according to Cherokee County Sheriff Larry Wilson. The first two days, a combined group that also included the county drug task force turned up 5,480 plants, Wilson said. That number dropped considerably the third day, Thursday, to a little more than 200 plants. Friday's sweep was cut short by an approaching storm. With the aid of a helicopter, the group scoured the county for the plants. "They found some tall plants -- six to seven feet -- Thursday," Wilson said. "The first two days, they got quiet a bit (in numbers). They must have found some good patches." Wilson said the haul is up this year from a year ago, but not as high as it was about four to five years ago. He believes the climate has a lot to do with this year's increased numbers with the rain aiding the growth of the plants. "Last year, we didn't get near that many," Wilson said. Lower numbers in recent years actually may not be as good a sign as one might believe. That decrease in numbers not only is attributed to the annual raids, Wilson said, it also relates to illegal drug dealers going from bad to worse. Wilson explained that the dramatic increase in the use of meth probably has cut into marijuana trafficking. "A lot of people who were harvesting marijuana have gone to using meth," Wilson explained. "That's going from bad to worse." Wilson said harvested plants have a street value of about $3,000 a plant. - --- MAP posted-by: Derek