Pot growers in Santa Rosa County should beware: They are up against the most successful outdoor marijuana-eradicating law enforcement agency in the state.
The Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office seized and destroyed 1,998 marijuana plants in 2009, more than any other of 64 reporting agencies across the state, according to a report from the Florida Domestic Marijuana Eradication Program and the federal Drug Enforcement Administration.
Miami-Dade led the state in indoor-crop eradication, with 20,223 plants discovered.
In 2008, Santa Rosa topped the state with 10,999 plants — the lion's share of the 16,211 outdoor-grown plants taken statewide. Santa Rosa came in second in the state, behind Holmes County, in 2007.
Each confiscated marijuana plant is estimated to have a $1,000 street value.
"Obviously, we take a very aggressive tact on the cultivation of marijuana," said Santa Rosa Sheriff Wendell Hall. "We made 19 arrests for cultivation last year. That's something we're very proud of."
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MADISON -- The buds on Don Christen's three marijuana plants were thick and bristling, ready for picking.
"These branches are so heavy, they're falling down," he said, lifting one to show its weight. "I should be able to take all that's ready, but it would be half a pound. What am I going to do? I have a big problem here."
Christen, of Madison, has been a medical marijuana patient for nearly two years, and he believes the medical marijuana bill currently making its way through the Legislature is not workable.
Patients legally may have up to 2 1/2 half ounces of dried marijuana, but the legal limit of six plants produces much more, he said. If he harvests all the marijuana that his plants grow, he'll be breaking the law, he said. If he doesn't use it, it will spoil -- what he calls a waste of time, money and medicine.
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A mother and son were arrested for growing marijuana in their home, the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office said.
Narcotics detectives arrested 63-year-old Joann Aguis and her 22-year-old son, Frank, Wednesday afternoon, charging them with cultivation of marijuana, possession of more than 20 grams, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Investigators seized 17.47 pounds of cut marijuana from the house and found various grow lights and materials. This was the first grow house raided in the county this year, deputies said.
The Aguis were released from the Charlotte County Jail after posting $8,500 bond each.
Detectives say they recently received a tip that led to the raid. Anyone who has information about illegal drug activity in Charlotte County is asked to call the Narcotics Unit at (941) 575-2157 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-780-TIPS.
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