POT GROWING TAKES SHIFT TO THE SOUTH.Byline: Associated Press Associated Press: see news agency. Associated Press (AP) Cooperative news agency, the oldest and largest in the U.S. and long the largest in the world. California's pot raiders seized about a quarter-million marijuana plants this year worth an estimated $1 billion wholesale - nearly double the amount seized last year, and far higher than the previous 1985 record. Authorities said Wednesday the seizures reflected a shift in marijuana growing from the traditional North Coast to central and southern parts of the state. State Attorney General Bill Lockyer William Westwood "Bill" Lockyer (born May 8, 1941) is the current State Treasurer of California. Prior to this, he served as California's Attorney General and head of the Department of Justice for the U.S. state of California. said 241,164 marijuana plants were confiscated con·fis·cate tr.v. con·fis·cat·ed, con·fis·cat·ing, con·fis·cates 1. To seize (private property) for the public treasury. 2. To seize by or as if by authority. See Synonyms at appropriate. adj. during 1999 by dozens of law enforcement agencies A law enforcement agency (LEA) is a term used to describe any agency which enforces the law. This may be a local or state police, federal agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) or the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). as part of a program called the Campaign Against Marijuana Planting. ``This is the most successful year in the 17-year history of the CAMP program,'' said Lockyer, who made the announcement near the Angeles National Forest The Angeles National Forest (ANF) was established by executive order on December 20, 1892 as the San Gabriel Timberland Reserve. It covers over 2,600 km² (650,000 acres) and is located in the San Gabriel Mountains of Los Angeles County, just north of the metropolitan area of Los , where thousands of plants were seized. Nearly 250 raids were conducted during the pot harvesting season from July through October, Lockyer said. In addition to the plants, officers also arrested two dozen people and confiscated 14 weapons. According to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. Lockyer, the wholesale value of the plants was $965 million, and the quantity was sufficient to make more than 200 million marijuana cigarettes. About half the marijuana seized statewide was taken in seven counties not traditionally associated with pot growing - Fresno, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, Madera and San Benito. The largest single pot raid was on Sept. 10, when authorities in San Benito County seized more than 48,000 plants worth an estimated $192 million and arrested 11 people. In 1985, the previous record year, authorities confiscated more than 166,000 plants. |
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