PotShot

Central Valley anti-pot effort honored
Lucia Graves | Tri-Valley Herald | 01/21/2006

WASHINGTON — The White House has honored Central Valley drug-fighters for efforts to eradicate marijuana in a region thats become increasingly popular with outlaw growers.

The Central Valley California High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, a cooperative effort spanning the area from Sacramento to Bakersfield, won three out of the 11 awards given nationwide by the White House drug czars office. In part, the awards recognize the groups campaign to clear pot plantations away from Sierra Nevada parks and forest.

I dont care if these guys are growing freakin potatoes, Bill Ruzzamenti, executive director of the Central Valley HIDTA, said Friday. I dont want them growing anything in the national parks.

The three awards honored Central Valley officials for leading efforts in investigations involving surveillance, intelligence, informants, wiretaps, search warrants and arrest teams. Their work, which targeted what was described as a large multistate drug-trafficking network, led to the seizure of more than a million marijuana plants, 9,800 pounds of marijuana and other drugs, and 149 suspects involved in drug-related operations.

The awards were presented in a low-key event hosted by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy. Since the Central Valley chapter was founded in 1999, the group has received more national awards than any HIDTA in the United States.

Im very proud, Ruzzamenti said. Its a very fine commentary on the great state, local and federal law enforcement partnership that weve formed in the Central Valley to deal with the acute drug problem we are faced with.

Ruzzamenti, who accepted the award on behalf of the Central Valley group, said that in recent years the marijuana industry has drastically expanded from mom-and-pop gardens to multibillion-dollar

marijuana plantations. These plantations, Ruzzamenti said, are generally controlled by Mex-ican gangs and may be guarded by up to 150 men, many of them armed.

But the men in the field aren't the ones HIDTA is after. Ruzzamenti said most of the field workers are Mexican nationals who are told they'll be paid some amount of money and given a green card once the marijuana is harvested.

"They're just doing the bidding of the organization," Ruzzamenti said.

Marijuana plantations are particularly problematic when grown on public land, including national parks like Yosemite, Sequoia and Kings Canyon. The plantations have been blamed for everything from poisoning park land with fertilizers to damming up rivers for irrigation purposes.

Although the awards Ruzzamenti received regard big plantations, he is also concerned about the drug at the small-town level.

Proposition 215, which allows Californians to obtain marijuana if they have a serious medical need for it, has given rise to uncertainty among some as to when marijuana is legal and when it is not.

Part of the marijuana problem in California is that a lot people want to think it's legal, Ruzzamenti said.

"Prop. 215 has been bastardized to the max," said Ruzzamenti.

"Now everything from a hangnail to a potential migraine is used as an excuse to possess and grow marijuana."

__________________

Carl Sagan Goodness Richard Dawkins Goodness

dedbr

Thank you doctor Ruzzamenti, for that wonderfull dissertation on the problem's with the new medical marijuana law.

We had medical marijuana in Ohio first. That's right, Ohio. Then when California passed their law, some brite bulb here said, "So, we've already had it for month's.."

The DEA started loading jet's with agent's heading toward's Ohio. You would of thought we were talking armed insurrection! There were actually DEA agent's in the statehouse when they voted the new law out!

What do action's like these lead to? It lead's to people going out where ever they can to plant their plant's. Then they throw in the "Mexican Mafia" to justify their action's.


You know what we have here? We have a government that is refusing to listen to the people. The last time we had this was in a place called Boston over some tea. Same thing this time, only different kind of tea....

Now you know why I have a bunker....

Another name for the ignorant list....

Ded

__________________
Though my soul may set in darkness,
It will rise in perfect light.
I have loved the stars too fondly,
To be fearful of the night." Sarah Williams

Our Posting Guidelines (Check 'em Out!.....)

Buzzby

When did we have medical marijuana in Ohio? We don't now and AFAIK we never have.


So all those armed Mexicans they keep capturing are "extras"? The huge profits available from the black market will inevitably lead entrepreneurs to do whatever's necessary to cash in on them.


Does it have something to do with "bunk"?


[EDIT] I found it! Someone snuck a provision into a 1996 1,000-page criminal sentencing bill allowing for an affirmative defense for possession of marijuana if the accused had a physician's written recommendation to use marijuana for medical purposes. As soon as the Cincinnati Inquirer noticed it, it was voted out. The provision was never invoked because no one knew about it!

Ohio Medical Marijuana Provision Confounds Officials,Lawmakers Move to Repeal the Law

Medical Marijuana Legislation Hot Topic For State Legislators

__________________

dedbr

First you question ol' Ded's word, then you say we snuck somethin' in on ya? An you bein' a native son of the Hi state, too? How is it you didn't know this, you being an activist and all?

Ya got me cryin' pappy. The Enquirer is leaning a little right, even if I do say so myself. Kinda like some of our "Community."

We even had doctor's ready to give consent to treatment and the form's for them to sign. Since we got shot down, tho, I guess that mean's we get to be a bunch of no good, dirty, drug dealer's and drug addict's again. Now I can be sick and miserable. Thank's Enquirer. Thank's state of Ohio.

(Dedbr head's back into the bunker...)

No pass, Buzz. When you said bunk, was that you or me?

Buzzby

When did I question your word? I asked a question and admitted my ignorance on the subject. I corrected that ignorance by searching for the information.


I wasn't smoking at the time and wasn't involved in activism, other than paying my dues for NORML and MPP.

dedbr

by saying we "snuck" something in on someone?

That's funny, because it was published in the Norml and MPP new's alert's. Oh yeah, that's right. You weren't an activist then. That must be the reason you didn't read them, huh?

(Dedbr turn's on the light's in the bunker...)

Excuse me, Mr. Buzz, Sir. I have to get back to reading my bunk....

Ded