California cannabis eradication a long way from the days of Spyrock

[Kendo The Green]

Howdy High friends and neighbors!
I can't remember ever starting a thread at ICMAG so this is a first of sorts for me.

California cannabis eradication has taken on many forms since the days of," The locked gates” of Spyrock and Covelo.
Ronald Reagan’s cry for federal help brought us C.A.M.P. and the infamous,
“Police in Helicopter" to get around these locked gates and endless back roads.
C.A.M.P has taken many different turns since those first flyovers and so has California cannabis cultivation
C.A.M.P describes itself as a unique multi-agency law enforcement task force managed by the Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement and composed of local, state and federal agencies organized expressly to eradicate illegal marijuana cultivation and trafficking in California.
They cite their record 1,675,681 plants seized in 2006 as proof that they are winning the war against cannabis planting, as if there was any kind of a war and if you could in fact win it I would hardly cite such a massive hike in seizures as an indication of their success, more the opposite IMHO.

In this new reality of California cannabis production the high seizure counts are testament to the out of control nature of the massive beast that has become medicinal cannabis.
C.A.M.P. has lost control and can no longer handle the sheer volume of cannabis grower related incidents, how could they?
Over the last 2 years we have seen a new tactic unfold from LEO operatives with the Sheriffs dept's taking a new more frontline enforcement role.
The reality of Medicinal cannabis and the advent of everyone and their grandmother growing cannabis "legally" has forced LEO to develop ways of, “at the very least" appearing stem the tide.
Sheriffs’ dept’s have always participated in Green operations but are now moving a bit up the food chain and participating with other dept’s as never before.
C.A.M.P. is concentrating on the massive grows in remote locations while sheriff dept’s are handling the local grower who is over the limit.
There are so many interdepartmental cooperative taskforces it’s impossible to keep up with them. They are all vying for their piece of the pie, and the size of your piece is dependent on how many plants they seize or assist in the seizure of.
Have any of you noticed any new trends in LEO's eradication tactics? If so please elaborate on r thoughts for us.
Remember to stay within your limits and you will be fine.
Here’s to a safe 2008 season.
Kendo The Green Wizard.

 

[la resistance]

good post, interesting info about the sheriff's dept.

the city i live in just got a new helicopter for the purpose of busting parties, can you believe that? what a waste, it costs 20gs every time it takes off. it's been up flying around every night on the weekends and waking me up throughout the night and i imagine they'll be using it to look for mj come summertime.

 

[Kendo The Green]

No doubt they will be seeking gardens with the chopper. Tere is really only one way to make money for operations and that is Green eradication.

 

[ShootinBudz]

what do you mean by "locked gates"? Those communities would simply throw up a steel fence on the road to keep out LEO? damn that would be nice.

As much as I hate the drug cartels sending their workers into california to grow huge plots, last year they were all that got hit by CAMP except for what you mentioned about growers over the limit getting nabbed by sheriffs. I heard about guys in willits losing their entire crop because they didn't buy the zip-ties last year.

This year is going to see some new tactics, by LEO. I have a feeling that also there will be growers busted in mendo who have more than the new 24 plant limit, sure to cause lots of static between residents and LEO that is for sure. it just gets more and more obvious who the cops work for and it sure is not us!

 

[minds_I]

Hello all,

...... I heard about guys in willits losing their entire crop because they didn't buy the zip-ties last year.

Shootin what do you mean about the zip-ties?


Kendo, if the sheriff departements are co-operating with the federal CAMP program and are just enforcing local growers plant counts...does that not put them in conflict with state guidelines for mmj?


minds_I

 

[ShootinBudz]

The sheriffs dept. wanted to make a buck, and also keep their federal minders happy so they are selling zip ties, $25 each for your limit of 24 plants. If you have plants w/out zip ties they get confiscated.

When it comes down to it though, any man who allows LEO to take what is his without fighting for it tooth and nail, deserves to lose it.

 

[Kendo The Green]

Hello all,




Shootin what do you mean about the zip-ties?


Kendo, if the sheriff departements are co-operating with the federal CAMP program and are just enforcing local growers plant counts...does that not put them in conflict with state guidelines for mmj?


minds_I

C.A.M.P. is a federally funded california organization. Not a feederal Entity.
What the sheriffs are doing is going after the local over the limit grows. They are enforcing state guidelines As shootin said I think there is gonna be a whole lot of siezures going on this fall if people don't stick to the guidelines. they are just as happy to confiscate your plants as bust you. They get federal money for the siezure amounts they net.
You can bet they will be just as happy to sieze peoples land if they are way out of compliance.

 

[ShootinBudz]

there is a huge conflict of interest, kendo maybe you know if this is correct. I heard that the mendo sheriff's brother is a huge commercial grower and it's a real corrupt thing they have going on down there. I wonder if sheriff's bro is going to stick to the limits? this is such crap, meanwhile the wineries owned by billionaires are creeping northward.

 

[Kendo The Green]

there is a huge conflict of interest, kendo maybe you know if this is correct. I heard that the mendo sheriff's brother is a huge commercial grower and it's a real corrupt thing they have going on down there. I wonder if sheriff's bro is going to stick to the limits? this is such crap, meanwhile the wineries owned by billionaires are creeping northward.

This is the skinny I get from friends in the know.
The sheriffs will confiscate your overages if you are Over the limit and below 50. Anything over 50 per parcel will be assesed for further criminal charges and probably have the entire grow uprooted. How real the numbers are is a guess but I would venture that sounds very plausible.
The Sheriffs did not play at all last year, pulling overages with only way over gardens being charged. with anything. Ask Me I was recipient of a sheriffs visit, if you wanna call 100 LEO's in swat gear coming to call a visit. Leaving with Overages from the Co-op My garden was left vitually unscathed. LEO is thief tho and they stole some prize colas from my best girls.
Realistically the criminal charges thing is kinda IFFY as it's not what they can charge you with, it's what they can get a jury of your peers to convict you of. Here in Cali it is near impossible to get 12 members of a jury to convict a medicinal patient without heavy proof of conspiracy.
If 80% of the nation believes medicinal cannabis should be legal LEO has a high bar to reach to get a conviction.

 

[minds_I]

Hello all,

I am confused...if the CAMP program is federally funded, why tehn would they allow limits int he first place? They raid dispensories as they are federally deemed illegal and they take everything.

I have a hard time wrapping my brain around the feds giving money and not setting guidelines leaving the protocols to the local constableary.

What am I missing?

minds_I

 

[Kendo The Green]

Hello all,

I am confused...if the CAMP program is federally funded, why tehn would they allow limits int he first place? They raid dispensories as they are federally deemed illegal and they take everything.

I have a hard time wrapping my brain around the feds giving money and not setting guidelines leaving the protocols to the local constableary.

What am I missing?

minds_I

State oragnizations get funding from the federal gov't to eradicate Cannabis.
C.A.M.P is primarily funded by the feds but works on a state level. C.A.M.P. itself doesn't deal with," Legal" canabis gardens, that is left up to local or county LEO to determine compliance with state guidelines.
County Sheriff dept's get funding from the feds for plant seizures, the more plants seized the more funds.