Josephine Co. Sheriff's approved for nearly $1.9M grant to combat illegal marijuana grows

JOSEPHINE COUNTY, Ore — Josephine County Sheriffs Office was approved for a nearly $1.9M grant funded from the state to address ongoing illegal marijuana concerns.

The Josephine County Board of Commissioners approved the funding for the Marijuana Enforcement Team on Wednesday. It’s a biennium grant issued by the state, that sheriff’s offices across Oregon have to reapply for every year.

Josephine County Undersheriff Travis Snyder said they asked for more money this year than previous years, because of the overwhelming amount of illegal grows.

“We see massive grows that are hiding in plain sight, and it’s at a scale where we don’t have much personnel,” said Snyder.

Snyder said the money will help them double the amount of technicians and other detectives on their team. He believes adding extra help will allow them to tackle more illegal grows and successful prosecutions.