Facebook
Fark
Digg
Reddit
Stumble2,475 marijuana plants found in remote grow operation
Nevada Department of Public Safety
Authorities finished clearing a remote outdoor marijuana grow site this week in Esmeralda County, Nev.
Friday, Aug. 14, 2009 | 10:56 a.m.
Approximate location of marijuana bust
Nevada and Esmeralda County officials have destroyed 2,475 marijuana plants in a remote area of the White Mountains northwest of Las Vegas, authorities said.
Esmeralda County Sheriff Ken Elgan asked the state Department of Public Safety's Investigation Division to help destroy the plants on Aug. 7, authorities said. The operation was completed Wednesday.
The exact location of the marijuana growing operation is not being disclosed because the investigation continues, authorities said, identifying the location only as northwest of the town of Dyer. The location is about halfway between Las Vegas and Reno near the California state line.
The latest marijuana operation was found about four miles from another operation discovered in August 2008.
Officials discovered the marijuana plants during aerial surveillance of the area.
The Department of Public Safety's Nevada Threat Analysis Center and the Bureau of Land Management trained Northern Nevada officials after four marijuana operations were discovered in 2008, with two of the major growth areas in Esmeralda County.
No arrests have been made, authorities said. The mature marijuana plants ranged in size from 4 to 6 feet and would have been flowering or producing buds ready to harvest within one to three weeks. A mature plant will yield about 1 to 2 pounds of marijuana.
Some plants were in rows while others were scattered among natural trees and vegetation in a canyon. Such plants require frequent attention and watering and it is not uncommon for people to remain on site to guard and care for the plants, officials said.
The cultivation of marijuana is not illegal in Nevada since a law was inadvertently removed from the Nevada Revised Statute by the 2001 Legislature prohibiting the manufacture of a controlled substance, including marijuana. It was revised to address legal challenges in making methamphetamine.
Senate Bill 262 was introduced in the 2009 Legislature to correct that defect, but the bill died in the Assembly Judiciary Committee.
However, officials may still press charges for possession of marijuana and related offenses. Those having more than 100 pounds up to 2,000 pounds would be charged with a felony. Up to 10,000 pounds is a felony with a minimum prison term of not less than two years and a maximum of 10 years, plus fines.
Anyone with information about the Esmeralda marijuana operation is urged to contact the sheriff's office at (775) 483-3424 or the Investigation Division at (775) 684-7408.
Participating in the latest eradication effort was the Esmeralda County Sheriff's Office, Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Investigation Division's Tri-NET Narcotics Task Force. The Tri-NET includes officers from DPS, Lyon County Sheriff's Office, Carson City Sheriff's Office and the Douglas County Sheriff's Office.
Discussion: comments so far…
Comments are moderated by Las Vegas Sun editors. Our goal is not to limit the discussion, but rather to elevate it. Comments should be relevant and contain no abusive language. Comments that are off-topic, vulgar, profane or include personal attacks will be removed. Full comments policy. Additionally, we now display comments from trusted commenters by default. Those wishing to become a trusted commenter need to verify their identity or sign in with Facebook Connect to tie their Facebook account to their Las Vegas Sun account. For more on this change, read our story about how it works and why we did it.
Only trusted comments are displayed on this page. Untrusted comments have expired from this story.
No trusted comments have been posted.
Post a comment
Most Popular
- Viewed
- Discussed
- E-mailed
- Photos: Olivia Culpo, 20, of Rhode Island is crowned 2012 Miss USA at Planet Hollywood
- US Navy hopes stealth ship answers a rising China
- Photos: Derek Hough celebrates 27th birthday at Tabu Ultra Lounge
- Learning about Electric Daisy Carnival fans will help Las Vegas court them
- On the horizon: A quick look at projects poised to shape downtown
Everything Under the Sun
Blogs
The Kats Report
Joe Pesci remembers his own honeymoon in Vegas -- meeting the Rat Pack
Las Vegas Philharmonic says search for new music director to begin 'immediately' (1 Comment)
With Shenandoah project stalled, Wayne Newton hits back legally (7 Comments)
Where does a Playmate play when she turns 21? Vegas! (3 Comments)
Ice Ice Billy
The road to six-toed cats and Mayor Bubba
The Kats Report
David Itkin tells L.V. Philharmonic officials he's on his way out (14 Comments)
Diamond Dave sells it well as Van Halen pours out the power at MGM Grand (2 Comments)
- Locally owned and independent since 1950; Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service, best news website in the nation & DuPont Award for broadcast journalism
funny how being caught with a plant gets you more time than killing someone while driving drunk with your car, huh?
Not only that stevem, but you can't OD on marijuana and it has fewer negative health effects than alcohol. It was only made illegal back in the 30's when some political official made it his personal crusade to criminalize pot as a means of getting elected. So few people used marijuana back then that it was an easy target.
Nevada (or even just Las Vegas) should legalize marijuana! We legalized gambling as a new form of tax revenue, why not legalize something as relatively harmless as marijuana? Think of the tax revenue from the growth, distribution and sale.
Its not like people will smoke it all over the place. Green light districts can designated for smoking. The same laws that apply to DUI's issued for alcohol could apply to being high as well.
If it is now LEGAL to cultivate weed (albeit, due to another mistake at the Legislature), but the pickle suits (enforcement) want to possibly press charges for possession, are they going to arrest the BLM official managing the area?
If the Dept. of Agriculture cannot eradicate White Top (a toxic weed), how are the pickle suits going to eradicate a weed that can make one very rich (and happy)? I suggest everyone start throwing their seeds out their vehicle windows while driving near irrigated areas . . .
Quick divorces, prostitution, and gambling used to be illegal also. Get with the program, Nevada.
@ stevem
I wasn't aware 64% of the United States was mormon; the amount of people who do not want to legalize marijuana. Last time I checked there are 300 M people in this country and less than 6 M mormons. That menas about 2% of the US is mormon.
In 2006, the NV measure went down 57/43. There are about 150,000 mormons in Nevada. There are 2.6 M residents of NV. That is rougly 5.7% of the population.
Nice try Capitan Strawman/ad hominem/non sequitor.
@ Krases
I like how you say marijuana is relatively harmless but then add the law should allow for DUI's. Either you contradicted yourself or you do believe that there is a harmful affect on others; those who could be injured by someone under the influence.
I fully agree that alcohol is much worse than marijuana. People kill others all the time while driving under the infuluence, alcohol destorys families, unwanted pregnancies etc.
However, there is a huge fallacy in the logic that if it is legalized the blackmarket sale would disappear. Drug dealers would push even harder with their sales because of the competitiion. The drug dealers would be more induced to lace their marijuana to create an addiction to the dealers drugs. The dealer would already have a leg up on the government because the sale would be tax free.
I agree, people will grow it at home, and drug dealers would still sell it. That's why I argued that it would not be some huge money maker for the government.
regan21,
How did I contradict myself? When I say "relatively harmless" I am relating it to other legal intoxicants. If I had said "completely harmless" then it would be a contradiction for me to also say that it should be a DUI to drive while high. As is, it is not a contradiction.
Well did the blackmarket sale of alcohol continue when prohibition ended? Sure, but not remotely on the scale that it did during the height of prohibition. You have to look at it from an economic aspect. If you grow a large crop of marijuana and sell it on the black market even if it was legal, you run several risks. The IRS is going to be angry, the FDA (or state-wide marijuana quality enforcing equivalent) is going to be angry and perfectly legal competition doesn't have to deal with the shady figures that a illegal mass grower would.
Small scale growers probably wouldn't be taxed. I believe that state law already allows each person to make a few gallons of home made alcohol every month or so. The same could be said for someone who just grows there own and shares it with a few neighbors. Its the big marijuana shops and stores that are both A) requiring large shipments of marijuana and B) being taxed for it.
its amazing on how narrow minded people are...especially with the bagging on the mormons come on...i know a couple mormons and they dont really care if it gets legalized or not...
"Those having more than 100 pounds up to 2,000 pounds would be charged with a felony"
Screw the state law, if one actually exists. The feds will put you away for 20 years for this quantity.
anonymous24,
I agree. Most Mormons I know are very live and let live about it. I do think that some of the leadership of the church might be projecting its will were it doesn't belong, but there are other groups that wouldn't want to see marijuana legalized.
Even though you can hold a joint in one hand and a beer in another, I am sure that the alcohol industry doesn't want any form of extra competition. Soccer moms are the new temperance movement and will block anything that seems even remotely offensive/dangerous to children, often taking it to the extreme. Even some of the cartels that produce the larger quantities of marijuana may want to hold onto there monopoly.
Legalize it.
Tax it.
Problem solved.
@ UNLVStud
What problem is solved? You might want to present the problem to us before you allege to "solve" anything.
Hey Reagan21,
In my view, the UNLV guy was trying in his own understated way to suggest that legalizing pot could improve our way of life. Right this second, poor ol' Nevada has like no dough to do what we ought to be doing. We got bad roads that need fixes; our schools are overcrowded; teachers are way underpaid; state workers are getting the shaft; people don't flock to Vegas in droves as in years past.
In his own way, the quiet UNLV guy was implying that, if we could legalize and tax the extremely popular weed, there would be some resolution of our financial difficulty as a state. Most states have something to offer: Colorado...skiing; florida, vacations; Iowa, best dirt in the world for corn; alaska, oil, fish, ice. Poor ol' Nevada had some silver and gold, but we don't see much money for it. It all goes to Canada. Now all we got is scattered sagebrush, salty sand and scorching sunlight. solace!
But if we could get back to our roots (pun) as Nevadans and see that our traditional income source is in the area of selling SIN, then there's a pattern here. Come to Nevada and play! Eat, drink, party! Smoke dope. See how it fits in? Sin sells.
Weed is way better for a body than tobacco, booze or pills. It's also got a role to play in economics, especially in the southwest because of Mexico. Poor Mexico is all busted up for drugs. They grow gobs of smoke, move it to their gangs here and so we buy it 'cause it's good. But the problem is the gangs. Legalizing and taxing, as our UNLV student has suggested, will put an end to most of the violence in our neighboring Mexico. Smoke for peace.
Q-How come if you take a Mormon fishing, you have to take two?
A- If you only take one he'll drink all your beer.
It's a joke, lighten up!
Here is the real problem with cultivating Marijuana in the White Mountains. The trash and environmental pollution the growers leave. They divert streams and booby-trap trails.
Before you say boo-hoo, think about this; the White Mountains are a great place to go hiking and Nevada's tallest peak (boundary peak) is in the White Mountains.
Find a way to grow the hungry crop without trashing the countryside and I am all for it.
There are so many fallicies in that argument I don't know where to begin.
1 - our schools are not over crowded. Most of the schools are way under capacity
2 - I have lived in 4 states and NV's roads are much better than people give credit.
3 - The economic downturn is due to our lack of disposable income. Legalizing weed in NV will not somehow increase other's income. It will shift what they buy. Less food, more weed. Less movies, more weed. Less movies, more weed. To get out of the economic battles we need to create jobs.
4 - If weed is so "popular" than why does 67% of the country want to keep it illegal.
5 - By saying that something is less harmful does not make it healthy. It is still unhealthy, just not as unhealthy.
6 - How does legalizing pot in NV end violence in Mexico? That makes no sense at all. Marijuana is still going to be illegal everywhere else, and the gangs will still sell it in NV. This arguement regarding the gangs really is devoid of all logic.
7 - Again, selling sin will only work if there is more disposable income at hand. See above.
8 - I think you might want to smoke a little less. You are exhibit #1 for how pot is harmful and why we should not light up.
9 - If you look at the most educated countries you will see a higher standard of education and more innovation. Many argue that some countries have legalized pot, mostly in Europe. European countries have been lacking of any innovation for the past 50 years. They have hung onto the coat tails of the US. However, Asian countries (Japan; only 1.5% of adults use drugs) are full of innovation and have the best eduacational standards in the world. Education in this country has become exponentially worse since the mid 60's. The same time period where drug use sspiked in this country. I don't think this is a coincidence.
10 - Go ahead and legalize it. I am sick and tired of trying to "argue" with such brainiacs. It will ensure my stable carrer for years to come.
"...there is a huge fallacy in the logic that if it is legalized the blackmarket sale would disappear."
"4 - If weed is so "popular" than why does 67% of the country want to keep it illegal."
reagan21 -- what do you base that on? To counter your second point it's illegal because 1) police and other government parts make so much from it (forfeitures), and 2) legislators tend to be stupid on this point.
UNLVStud is 100% correct. Besides legalization in some other countries seems to have gone well, when you look at the history of making it illegal here you'll see how American's first drug czar -- self-appointed mainly -- lied and cheated to make it that way. Hunt down the LaGuardia Report -- it deflates all the negatives. Stupidity on this issue is pretty much proven by the difference between hemp and marijuana -- then asking why is hemp still illegal.
Yeah Reagan 21:
Your response is absolutely beautiful. You have a wonderful talent in seeing the truth and speaking it forcefully. Your number ten is a chiller! I hope you're able to help people that get strung out on stuff. Being an addict is so humiliating. Not only is life not really yours because you're a slave to a substance, but also the self-esteem factor plummets when the addict sees himself as he is, stuck and stupid.
Dopers are always right in their minds. I know. Attempting to deal with "Brainiacs" is futile. When they know everything, there's no room for new information.
When I was in Amsterdam for a couple of semesters, I saw who the smokers are. They're tourists! They come and smoke up, leave their dough and act like kids at the candyshop. Most of the locals avoid the coffeeshops. I must disagree with your comments about Europe; they're actually quite innovative. But there is truth to your comment about educational standards falling significantly since the sixties, and I do agree with your assumption that there's a correlation between drug usage and failing parental concerns, inability to develop emotionally and intellectually.
About my suggestion that our high demand for drugs here in the US is part of the cause of violence in Mexico, well, I'm not sure. I do think that if the demand were lessened by fewer drug users or by legal and ample supplies domestically, then it's likely that the violence between gangs that fought for turf in the US would subside. It is pure conjecture on my part, and I am glad you pointed out the weakness of that line of thinking.
Your point about the health is well taken. It's not good to smoke anything. It goofs your lungs up, causes cancer, emphysema and all kinds of needless suffering. Drinking alcohol and taking tobacco may be worse, but that's hardly a reason for doing oneself in on another "soft" drug.
Your item number 3 is hauntingly accurate. There would be an ever-increasing consumption of drugs and a shrinking amount of disposable income. Not a good scenario for economic development or development of society.
That's probably why so many Americans are against legalizing it.
But your number 8 was the killer. "8 - I think you might want to smoke a little less. You are exhibit #1 for how pot is harmful and why we should not light up." Your ability to see far exceeds your vision. Your forthright concern for someone you have never seen is quite fetching. I thank you for your understanding and, whoever you are, please know that your respect for life is showing. Thank you for your kind and thoughtful assessment.
if you legalize and LICENSE the selling and growing of it in nevada, it will reduce crime in mexico.
if people that want the drug can get it from a legal, local source, they will.
there will be no need to get it through the supply chain in mexico. we can get it here.
the drug lords in mexico will have no source of income and they'll slowly die on the vine.
it will also increase the sales of taco bell, hostess fruit pies, and cheetos, so it will stimulate the economy.
look...las vegas is screwed. bad. if we could make money from people flying here and going to some kind of hookah lounge to smoke some weed, listen to some pink floyd and eat some twinkies...i'm all for it.
Legalize it.
Peter Tosh.
OOPS!!! Thought that was a terrorist flying overhead :)
reagan21,
1. Really? As I understand it, poor management of the school system has resulted in one school being way underpopulated and another being way overpopulated. Having been a student in the CCSD from kindergarten to high school, I can say that I received a lot of the latter.
2. You are right on that one. It is kinda depressing to take surface streets from Nevada to California and just notice the sudden difference in quality.
3. You forget one thing. Tourism. If tourists come to Las Vegas and leave more of there income here, it boosts our economy. If they stay at home then none of that cash makes it to Vegas. Vegas is built on tourism and while we should diversify in other directions, tourism doesn't need to be left behind.
4. As of 2005, Gallup says that its more around 60%. Following the trend of the last 10 years, it is probably around 55% when it comes to people against weed. It might be another 15-20 years, but the trends say that we are slowly reaching a tipping point.
5. Driving cars at high speeds can be risky. Eating McDonalds is unhealthy. At what point do you just lay down a few ground rules and let people live?
6. It is? The mob took a huge blow to there power when prohibition ended. When things are legalized, the economically unstable gangs/mobs have historically been replaced by far more stable legitimate businesses.
7. See point 3.
8. -
9. Asia is a mixed bag. I would say that dirt cheap labor has more to do with innovation than a lack of drug use. Europe has hit a sort of plateau it seems. Population growth rates are stagnant and many countries seem to only be able to go down instead of up. Japan seems to be in the same position as many European countries.
10. Only in Nevada, particularly Las Vegas mind you. Nevada has historically legalized morally questionable things to earn extra tax income. It works in the obvious case of gambling. Play the cards right and legalizing marijuana can give a huge boost to the economy.
You put legilizing pot on the national ballot it would pass. Instead they make it illegal so a few can get rich. Make it legal and tax it idiot's
Let me get this straight. According to the article it's not illegal to grow marijuana? Well that's a step in the right direction.
I work in the casino industry and half or more of my co-workers smoke. Tourist always ask me if I know where they can get some pot. Federal government allocates money to rid all this when they created the DEA. If you don't know most of the pot grown outside of the USA is grown in Paraguy. In other Words federal agencys get money for busting pot growers and if it was legal they would lose their jobs. All about fighting for allocatsion of money to DEA, ATF, County, City law enforsement. Go ahead put the pot smokers in jail. what is it a year $30,000 a year to keep someone in jail. In the year 2030 at this rate more people are going to jail than school. Good Job
I can't comment on this article...the 60's ..well that was a special time...you didn't have to buy any "pot"...you just needed to inhale at any party or BBQ...Those were different times. I'm not pro or con on this subject. I'll just stay here in the middle of the road.After seeing these comments...I'm saver here (grin).
Baby Boomers are a majority now. We grew up in are government war in SE Asia. They want to kill we want to make love.
Sin City is becoming a police city. Shooting people in the back hand cuffed, killing an old man selling ice cream. If you brought up the last 30 people killed by cops they are all justified. How do you justify shotting a 16 year old hand cuffed in the back 3 times running away. Was there a threat to the police by this kid. Las Vegas has more crooked cops than any city I've ever lived.
they didnt stop the bootleggers during prohibition because there was a demand for alcohol; same goes for marijuana. they havent stopped prostitution either.
dude they found my stash!!! What am I going to go with all this cheese I just bought...dang it there goes my week-end!
Mormons are bad neighbors. Let's just say it.
This is a very remote area. They stopped the guy from raising crayfish, now this.
Nevada needs a day comormonating the mountain meadows massacre.
MEDICAL MARIJUANA IS LEGAL IN NV, BUT THEY MAKE IT HARD, AND VERY EXPENSIVE TO GROW YOUR OWN. YOU USE TO GO THROUGH THE AGRICULTURE DEPT:) NOW YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE HEALTH DEPT. EVERY YEAR THEY CHARGE YOU $150.00 FOR ANOTHER APPLICATION. YOU GET CHARGED FOR SEEING THE DR, BECAUSE HE HAS TO SIGN AGAIN AND AGAIN EVERY YEAR. I'M CONFINED TO A WHEEL CHAIR NOT ONLY I DON'T HAVE THE MONEY, BUT THEY EXPECT ME TO GROW IT!!!! PEOPLE WHO MAKE LESS THAN A THOUSAND A MONTH SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY. THE LAW WRITTEN MAKES IT IMPOSSIBLE. THEY SHOULD MAKE A FEW CHANGES IN THE LAW.
wow...
my comment got deleted.
what's so funny is a made ONE remark about mormons being stupid and it gets deleted.
they're a cult.
Mormons are a political machine and not good to the rest of us.
Everyone would benefit from watching The Union. It's available on Netflix and may even be free to watch on the Internet.
Let's use science as our determining factor. Why not? After all, God is fake.
The mormon religion is a discriminating money making machine. Although there are alot of mormons i know that are very humble people, but they keep to there selves with there "religion." Im not bashing on mormons but because im not mormon I cant even get certain jobs! They brainwash there children to have many kids at a young age just to help there church grow. By the way a billboard supporting medical marijuana got taken down here in LV because the mormon church didn't like it. Who are they to dictate freedom of speech? And if it were completely legal not everyone would smoke it just like cigarettes some people like them some people dont!
Regan21,
3 - The economic downturn is due to our lack of disposable income. Legalizing weed in NV will not somehow increase other's income. It will shift what they buy. Less food, more weed. Less movies, more weed. Less movies, more weed. To get out of the economic battles we need to create jobs. - People that smoke weed will buy more food due to its benefits to make people hungry, people enjoy relaxing and watching a movie while they smoke a joint.
airweare,
When I was in Amsterdam for a couple of semesters, I saw who the smokers are. They're tourists! They come and smoke up, leave their dough and act like kids at the candyshop. Most of the locals avoid the coffeeshops. I must disagree with your comments about Europe; they're actually quite innovative. But there is truth to your comment about educational standards falling significantly since the sixties, and I do agree with your assumption that there's a correlation between drug usage and failing parental concerns, inability to develop emotionally and intellectually. - Well since las vegas is ran on tourisim dont ya think it would be a good idea to leagalize and have coffeshops here in Las vegas?