Seizures of pot plants up 52%, officials say

Increase is due to a rise in marijuana production and better access to remote areas, authorities say.

November 04, 2009|John Hoeffel

The annual marijuana eradication campaign hit a new record this summer, uprooting 4.4 million plants, a 52% increase over last summer, state and federal officials plan to announce today.

"The number of marijuana plants eradicated has increased due to the number of plants being cultivated and law enforcement's ability to detect and access the remote areas where the plants are grown," said Michelle Gregory of the California Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement.

The program has increased its seizures since 1996, when voters approved the use of medical marijuana. Officials expected this growing season to produce a bumper yield for law enforcement, saying that Mexican drug cartels have stepped up their operations in national forests.

In 2008, 2.9 million plants were found, worth an estimated $11.6 billion. About 70% was grown on public lands. The campaign also seized 2.9 million plants in 2007.

john.hoeffel@latimes.com

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Seizures of pot plants up 52%, officials say

Increase is due to a rise in marijuana production and better access to remote areas, authorities say.

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