SISKIYOU COUNTY, Calif. – A drug raid in northern California yielded more than 1,500 illegal marijuana plants.
The Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office said on September 20, they teamed up with other agencies for a counter-drug operation in the Butte Valley area.
A total of 1,528 illegal marijuana plants were found, along with about 525 pounds of processed marijuana. Several pounds of concentrated cannabis products were discovered along with a butane honey oil lab. Two firearms were also found.
“The 1,528 illegal marijuana plants can produce an average of $13,752,000 retail on the illegal drug market back East,” SCSO said. “The marijuana plants, based on an average 3-pound yield, can garner about $1,428,000 on the wholesale market out-of-state. The 525 pounds of illicit, processed marijuana, which was ready for distribution and sale, is worth about $1,575,000 on the retail illicit drug market out-of-state.”
Sheriff Jon Lopey said existing county guidelines only allow up to 12 cannabis plants, which are required to be grown in an approved indoor structure. “Although reductions are encouraging we still have far too many illegal cultivation sites on private and public lands of the county,” Sheriff Lopey explained, “I witnessed this firsthand during an overflight of several impacted areas on September 27, 2018.”
Lieutenant Jeremiah LaRue said illegal marijuana cultivation can cause extensive damage to the environment. It’s estimated these types of grows use up to 3 million gallons of water a day.
Anyone with information about an illegal marijuana cultivation site is urged to contact the SCSO’s 24-hour Dispatch Center at (530) 841-2900.
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