Pubdate: Tue, 20 Nov 2007 Source: Orange County Register, The (CA) Copyright: 2007 The Orange County Register Contact: http://www.ocregister.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/321 Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?115 (Cannabis - California) Cited: http://www.usdoj.gov/ndic/pubs21/21137/index.htm (National Drug Threat Assessment 2007) ALL THOSE INDOOR POT FARMS Federal Campaign Drives Growers Indoors No doubt without intending to, a U.S. Justice Department report on the ambitious federal marijuana plant eradication program (called Campaign Against Marijuana Planting or CAMP in California), documents that the campaign has not only failed to make much of a dent in the marijuana marketplace, it has had the perverse effect of driving producers to indoor sites, notably to suburban homes. In other words, if one of your neighbors (probably in a rented house) has converted the place to an indoor marijuana plantation, guarded by somewhat unsavory-looking characters who look as if they might be packing heat and attracting a number of disreputable-looking hangers-on, you can thank the state and federal governments. Your tax dollars at work. Here's how the National Drug Threat Assessment from the National Drug Intelligence Center of the Justice Department put it: "Federal, state, and local law enforcement reporting indicates that vigorous outdoor cannabis eradication efforts have caused major marijuana producers, particularly Caucasian groups, to relocate indoors, even in leading outdoor grow states such as California and Tennessee." The report goes on to say that one side effect of shifting to indoor sites is that "The groups will produce higher-potency marijuana year-round, allowing for exponential increase in profits derived." While aggressive eradication activities have had some impact, especially in driving production to the suburbs, the report makes clear that it hasn't done much to reduce overall production. While the feds are seizing record numbers of plants, production operations in California (mostly Northern) "are extensive, widespread, becoming more sophisticated, and increasing in size." Meanwhile, "marijuana availability is widespread." So the drug warriors don't reduce availability, but they push growers into your neighborhood and increase their profitability. Is that what the drug war was intended to do? - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom