About 72 million gallons of water were used to irrigate San Diego County's thirsty and illegal marijuana operations, enough to serve 440 families for a year, and that's only for the ones that were found. Law enforcement officials made that statement Thursday at a news conference at the Drug Enforcement Administration's San Diego office as they announced the number of illegal pot plants seized countywide so far this year. DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge Gary Hill said it takes about 900 gallons of water to grow an outdoor marijuana plant to harvest, and about half that for an indoor plant. [continues 389 words]
SAN DIEGO - Alicia Tucker's hand rested on her oxygen tank as she listened to a representative from Altai a company that produces marijuana edibles talk up a gourmet display of pot-infused bon bons at PotLuck, a medical cannabis expo. Five years ago, Tucker, a 43-year-old Temecula resident, would have scoffed at the idea of using medical marijuana. But that was before her genetic lung condition progressed to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which makes her breathing difficult. Her treatment originally included steroids, steroids and more steroids, she said. At one point, she was on 19 medications. Then a friend suggested she explore marijuana as an option. [continues 444 words]
Coast Guard Arrives With Largest Delivery During Unprecedented Year for Confiscating the Narcotic The Coast Guard unloaded more than $1 billion worth of cocaine Monday at San Diego Naval Base - its largest-ever delivery of the narcotic - as federal officials announced a record-breaking year for seizures of illegal drugs intercepted far offshore from Latin America. During the past 10 months, the Coast Guard and its partners from the Navy, federal law enforcement and allied nations teamed up to apprehend 215 suspected smugglers in the eastern Pacific Ocean and confiscate more than 119,000 pounds of cocaine. The estimated street value of the haul is about $1.8 billion. [continues 815 words]
East County Law Enforcement First in State to Carry Drug That Can Halt Opiate Overdose A drug hailed as the antidote for an opiate overdose will now be on the belts of sheriff's deputies, the first law enforcement officers in the state to carry it. Deputies who patrol Santee, Lakeside and the unincorporated areas surrounding El Cajon started carrying the drug Naloxone this week, sheriff's officials announced Monday at a news conference at the department's headquarters. The nasal spray, which also goes by the brand name of Narcan, reverses drug overdoses caused by opiates. [continues 877 words]
DEL MAR - Del Mar's City Council unanimously voted late Wednesday night to place a medical marijuana dispensary ordinance before voters in November. After a petition suggesting the allowance of marijuana dispensaries in Del Mar was submitted with the support of more than 10 percent of city voters in June, the council opted to order a report on the subject. Although neither council members nor the public received a copy of the report until Wednesday's meeting, the council chose to push the issue to voters. [continues 304 words]
