Pot Grow Op Histeria
April 3rd, 2007 by Alex
All over the country, grow houses are garnering more widespread public attention than ever before.
A recent explosion of high-end, indoor grow ops have been raided and shut down by various law enforcement agencies across the US.
Some may say this proves the growing trend that well-financed drug rings are using expensive, innocuous locations to produce mass quantities of marijuana. Perhaps. Or, maybe the police are just now starting to catch on?
News stories published left and right are aimed at not only informing the public, but also at making them unwitting tools of the police.
Each article has pushed the angle of danger and suspicion - evil marijuana growers lurking in the shadows under honest, hard-working citizens very noses.
The AP has even released this amazingly helpful list of how to spot a “marijuana farm”:
- There are guard dogs, “Keep Out” signs or other security.
- Electrical outlets may be rigged to divert power from neighboring homes.
- The windows are often covered and the blinds drawn. There may be excessive condensation around the windows.
- The houses are largely unoccupied. People stop by periodically to mow the lawn or do other chores, then leave.
- In winter, after a snowfall, the house may be the lone home on the block with no snow on the roof. (Heat from the lights often melts the snow.)
According to this criteria, everyone who lives in Beverly Hills is operating a massive indoor pot factory. I need to call the police right now!
Even though I am making light of this situation, the use of paranoia through mass media is a very effective self-policing tactic. I’m sure that tip lines all the way from Georgia to California are ringing off the hook, and that’s just the way the narcs want it to be.
For more pics of various busted grow ops, read on.
[via AP Photo/Su Anderson]
