Florida Moves Backwards

[KISE1]

Landmark bill targeting marijuana grow houses becomes law

Last Edited: Tuesday, 17 Jun 2008, 3:46 PM CDT
Created: Tuesday, 17 Jun 2008, 3:46 PM CDT

Marijuana Plant FOX10 News


TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Attorney General Bill McCollum announced Tuesday that the Marijuana Grow House Eradication Act has been signed into law, giving Florida’s prosecutors and law enforcement essential tools to combat for-profit growers of marijuana.

The New Law

The new law, sponsored by Senator Steve Oelrich (R-Gainesville) and Representative Nick Thompson (R-Ft. Myers), passed as House Bill 173 during the 2008 Legislative Session and was signed into law by Governor Charlie Crist Tuesday. The bill was developed because of the increasing number of grow houses operating in the state and violent crime which tend to be associated with these operations.

“Grow houses are not only furthering this dangerous drug trade within our state, they are bringing violent crime into our neighborhoods,” said Attorney General McCollum. “This new law will help protect our families and communities.”

The new law makes it a second-degree felony to grow 25 or more plants, targeting for-profit growers who exploit Florida’s previous threshold of 300 plants. The law will also make it a third-degree felony to own a house for the purpose of cultivating, packaging and distributing marijuana and a first-degree felony to grow 25 or more plants in a home with children present.

“Marijuana is the most commonly used illegal drug in America and we must take a stand against the for-profit growers who were previously exploiting higher thresholds,” said Sen. Oelrich. “By lowering the number of plants necessary for criminal charges, we’ve given Florida’s authorities valuable tools in the fight against these criminal operations.”

Threat of grow houses

"Grow houses have become a very real threat to the safety and security in too many Florida communities," said Representative Thompson. "Floridians who use grow houses to traffic drugs belong in prison. This law sends the message loud and clear that if you grow, you go. I am grateful to Attorney General Bill McCollum for his support and Governor Crist for signing this bill into law."

Statistics on number of grow houses

Recent statistics reveal the alarming increase in the number of grow houses being maintained in Florida as well as the ever-developing levels of sophistication of grow house operations. Marijuana grow houses primarily specializing in hydroponic marijuana have been detected in more than 40 of Florida’s 67 counties and within the past few months, cooperative efforts by law enforcement statewide have taken down more than 140 houses and seized more than $41.6 million worth of marijuana.

Recent Cases

Another recent case out of Palm Beach County brought charges against 29 people who were part of a drug trafficking ring which operated and maintained 25 marijuana grow houses throughout Palm Beach County and one in Miami-Dade County.

Other important aspects of the law will provide substantial benefits to Florida’s law enforcement community. Previously, law enforcement around the state were required to store cumbersome grow house equipment in order to preserve it as evidence.

To address this growing storage burden, the new law allows a photograph or video recording of equipment used in the cultivation of a marijuana plant to be considered as evidence in the prosecution of the crime. The law will also allow law enforcement to destroy grow house equipment upon the completion of all investigations and provides immunity from any civil liability to law enforcement for the destruction of the grow house equipment.

The Marijuana Grow House Eradication Act goes into effect on July 1, 2008.

http://www.myfoxgulfcoast.com/myfox/pages/News/Detail?contentId=6789585&version=1&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=3.1.1

 

[grapepunched]

Sad Sad SAD QUIT PROSECUTING PEOPLE FOR MEDICATING THEMSELVES!
WHO CARES WHO GROWS IT? IT ALL GETS SMOKED REGARDLESS OF WHERE IT CAME FROM. THIS IS UPSETTING NEW FOR FLORIDIANS, I HAVEN'T STEPPED FOOT IN THAT STATE FOR ALMOST 3 YEARS, IT USED TO BE COOL, NOW IT'S BUST CENTRAL!

-gp

Check my sig, quit prosecuting non-violent MJ offenders, it's a victimless crime.

Why don't you ban that horrible drug called alcohol from FLA. Half the people who die in Florida die there on spring break drunk. And their DUI percentages are disgusting...

 

[stealthballer]

politicians just dont get it

 

[asher1er]

What if you planted more then 25, before the law go's into effect? do they grand father you in? lol not a good thing for florida but fuckem!!

 

[P-NUT]

does anyone have a list of the idiots that voted for this so we can vote them out

 

[moneyshot]

I was just about to post this. This shiz sucks!! I live here and its so over run with old timers that are to narrow minded to understand that it helps. I think its pretty shady that they can destroy the evidence now BEFORE they get to trial. I garuntee you the cops will play a little game of he said BS and get you with more counts than you already have. On the news locally here they had aspecial on this bill. The reporter said that this comes at a good time due to the amount of kids being sent to the ER for marijuana related issues! Who the F goes to the ER after smoking a joint!? I love money but man these jokers have got to stop with the greed and power gimmick they are running... I bet everyone of those politicians that are "doing a good cause" for Floridians will have at least 1 drink tonight, most will get drunk AND drive. Hypocrites!!!

The Moneyshot

 

[jeep]

so lets talk about how we can get the most out of our 25

 

[toodles]

I'm a native Floridian and still have family there. I haven't lived there for years although I still visit family and friends there...some of them tokers, some not.

One of my relatives who used to grow for herself and husband says things had/have gotten WAY out of hand with the house grows. The worst ones are those being done my "mini crime syndicates". Not "organized" crime as such. Just local thugs who compete for markets. In some places they are really bad. And in other places there's not much of a problem. It depends on where you live.

So What did you people expect when these assholes in some areas were having turf battles and turning some neighborhoods into virtual "war zones"....and some of these houses were in pretty nice neighborhoods. The assholes doing the growing ruined their own growing operation IMO. They shit in everyones bed, not just their own. And this new law is the result.

They couldn't just do their grows and be happy. GREED reared its ugly head as it usually does. My guess is the law will be used to target just what they say--the larger grow operations. If the "little guys" like me and many of you just keep our heads down and a low profile, we'll do OK IMO.

Toodles

Some of you will flame me as a LEO stooge. Fuck you is all I can say. People like my family have a perfect right to live in peace and not have their neighborhood become fucked up because of greedy weed growers. It's just that simple for me.

 

[KISE1]

My guess is the law will be used to target just what they say--the larger grow operations. If the "little guys" like me and many of you just keep our heads down and a low profile, we'll do OK IMO.

I'd have to disagree. But I guess my opinion is shaped by the fact that I am the little guy and I got raided by 20 officers with guns and "lil man" syndrome.

 

[KISE1]

So What did you people expect when these assholes in some areas were having turf battles and turning some neighborhoods into virtual "war zones"....and some of these houses were in pretty nice neighborhoods. The assholes doing the growing ruined their own growing operation IMO. They shit in everyones bed, not just their own. And this new law is the result.

The "new law" should be to legalize it, then that wouldn't happen(turf battles and such)

 

[toodles]

I'd have to disagree. But I guess my opinion is shaped by the fact that I am the little guy and I got raided by 20 officers with guns and "lil man" syndrome.

If I may ask, what did you do to get busted? What went wrong to lead the law to you? 99.68% of the time it is because someones tongue wagged too much to the wrong people. No offense, but what happened?

And yup, small guys will probably continue to get popped. When I say I'm a small guy, I mean 4-6 plants. 6 plants is the "line" here.

The thing to watch is how much funding the law gets. If they cash in heavy on all the seizures they make, growers are in trouble. Still in all, the focus is usually on the larger growers.

If nobody knows you're growing, your odds of staying clear are very, very good IMO.

Toodles

 

[mark6699331]

How come i'll i hear about is grow house this and that..it is a friggiin plant. Like Florida didn't have crime b4 pot? Like pot is a new thing there??

CAN ANYONE SAY "LET"S BUST THE REAL DRUGS LIKE METH LABS!!!!!!!!!!!"

and leave growers alone.

M

 

[asher1er]

I'm a native Floridian and still have family there. I haven't lived there for years although I still visit family and friends there...some of them tokers, some not.

One of my relatives who used to grow for herself and husband says things had/have gotten WAY out of hand with the house grows. The worst ones are those being done my "mini crime syndicates". Not "organized" crime as such. Just local thugs who compete for markets. In some places they are really bad. And in other places there's not much of a problem. It depends on where you live.

So What did you people expect when these assholes in some areas were having turf battles and turning some neighborhoods into virtual "war zones"....and some of these houses were in pretty nice neighborhoods. The assholes doing the growing ruined their own growing operation IMO. They shit in everyones bed, not just their own. And this new law is the result.

They couldn't just do their grows and be happy. GREED reared its ugly head as it usually does. My guess is the law will be used to target just what they say--the larger grow operations. If the "little guys" like me and many of you just keep our heads down and a low profile, we'll do OK IMO.

Toodles

Some of you will flame me as a LEO stooge. Fuck you is all I can say. People like my family have a perfect right to live in peace and not have their neighborhood become fucked up because of greedy weed growers. It's just that simple for me.

I dont know what area you are hearing these turf wars n stuff going on at, but i can say im in the heart of it n being the scene for quite some time now, i have never heard nor witnessed a turf battle over weed market, cocaine..thats a different story..weed? we are so populated there is a market for EVERYONE.

How many crimes are related to grow houses? deals gone bad maybe.. 5 different neighbors on the same block growing...it has never happened from what ive seen. keep your op to your self no matter how much of a bigger guy you wanna sound like n you will be allright

 

[toodles]

The "new law" should be to legalize it, then that wouldn't happen(turf battles and such)

Well you are very , very naive if you believe that Florida will legalize weed any time soon. Republicans control the Govenors office, the Senate, AND the House.

Don't be silly. You need to focus on staying low profile. Not wishing for a law that isn't going to happen any time soon.

I do agree that legalizing weed is the ultimate answer, but that isn't going to happen in Florida any time soon IMO.

Florida pols are reacting like all pols do when faced with public pressure about "drug crime"....they pass more laws to put the "bad guys" in jail. That little guys get steamrolled along the way is of little concern to them. Keep in mind that drug dealer/growers don't vote in huge numbers for Republicans.

Toodles

EDIT:

Some folks I talked to the last time I was back there were concerned about what the drug house raids (what drug is not relevant) did to real estate values in the immediate are of the raid....as well as the violence sometimes associated with "weed houses". Weed may get a bad rap because of the confusion with the "coke houses, but that's just tuff stuff. There is nothing positive about a "drug house" in your immediate neighborhood if you are a homeowner there. That's just a fact of life.

 

[asher1er]

so lets talk about how we can get the most out of our 25

easy...LST n veg time, have at it

 

[KISE1]

If I may ask, what did you do to get busted?

My neighbor snitched on me cuz he thought I ran my air conditioner a little too often. That's what I did. Are you for the movement or against it. If you're for it, you sure don't come across that way.

 

[KISE1]

If nobody knows you're growing, your odds of staying clear are very, very good IMO.

Thanks for the tip, I would have never thought of that on my own

 

[toodles]

easy...LST n veg time, have at it

There ya go

Raise the price of the product to reflect the new risk

Toodles

EDIT

Thanks for the tip, I would have never thought of that on my own

Im not ragging on ya. Sorry it happened to you. However, some people I have known in the past got where "they thought their shit didn't stink" and now they are in jail.

 

[toodles]

My neighbor snitched on me cuz he thought I ran my air conditioner a little too often. That's what I did. Are you for the movement or against it. If you're for it, you sure don't come across that way.

Sorry, I didn't see this post. I'm trying to keep under the post limit by "EDIT my posts.

Your neighbor was pretty "nosey" I'd say. But... tell us truthfully. Did you run your A/C in such a way, and at such times, that it would seem "odd" to the "average person"? "Nosey" neighbors are going always be around. If you can't conduct a grow that gets past a nosey neighbor like you apparently had....then you need to find another place to live, OR do a more stealthy job of growing. And yes I know that's "hindsite". I say it as a lesson for those reading this.

Most of the busts happen because people "didn't do their homework" before they began their grow, OR maybe didn't remain vigilant after they began. etc. etc. Or maybe it's just plain old bad luck. I grow in an apartment. Trust me, I know the risks I am taking.

Am I part of the movement? The movement to legalize weed? No. I'm too old for that stuff. It won't happen in my lifetime. Ron Paul might have the best position on weed, but he is an idiot otherwise. I'm just growing for me and a cancer patient friend of mine.

The only way weed will become legal is when enough people realize that the jail space is better used to house people who REALLY DO need to be put away for LONG periods of time, and not people engaged in the non violent production, sale, and consumption of pot.

It may happen in YOUR lifetime, but not mine...and I plan on living another 15-20 years.

Toodles

 

[asher1er]

There ya go

Raise the price of the product to reflect the new risk

Toodles

EDIT

Thanks for the tip, I would have never thought of that on my own

Im not ragging on ya. Sorry it happened to you. However, some people I have known in the past got where "they thought their shit didn't stink" and now they are in jail.

Raise the price? the markets the market, only thing that gets you more dollar for your product is quality, not the risk's you take.

there just scared of hitting the harder more serious scenes, they dont do big raids on big time coke dealers or shut down dope holes as easily as they do with weed cause 9 times out of 10 when they go into a grow house there isnt someone thats gonna come out spraying you with there weapon of choice.


they did a sweep on the people dealing drugs in school neighborhood,s and i think in 20 houses that they hit they found more guns then what they did when they raided 140+ grow houses along florida