From HuffPo:
Three years on, not a single Wall Street banker has been prosecuted after a financial crisis rooted in rampant fraud brought the global economy to its knees. President Obama's Department of Justice has more dangerous miscreants to worry about: medical marijuana shop owners.
The DOJ has launched an assault on medical pot dispensaries, vowing to shut down establishments licensed and regulated by state and local governments, in a reversal of an earlier policy, based on an Obama campaign promise to leave the shops alone as long as they followed state law.
And while major corporations have managed to get their federal tax bills down to zero, the IRS has determined that pot clinics can't deduct salaries, rent, the cost of bud or other operating expenses on their tax returns. If a business can't deduct those expenses, its tax bill almost always winds up exceeding even its profits.
Despite a previous DOJ memo that targeting medical marijuana is an inefficient use of time and resources, this past Friday morning, four California-based U.S. Attorneys and their staffs gathered in front of Sacramento's capitol building to announce an aggressive new crackdown on medical marijuana operations throughout the state -- this one aimed at the landlords who manage buildings in which dispensaries operate.
Detailing an industry that has "swelled to include numerous drug-trafficking enterprises," the federal officials warned they would be taking action against dozens of dispensaries they accused of abusing California's medical marijuana laws.
"The California marijuana industry is not about providing medicine to the sick," said U.S. Attorney Laura E. Duffy. "It's a pervasive for-profit industry that violates federal law."
Meanwhile, medical marijuana in California is experiencing a renaissance. While the U.S. attorneys held their press conference, the West Coast Cannabis Expo had just opened its doors in San Francisco, drawing pot enthusiasts from across the state for the ultimate celebration of all things weed.
The contrast between the ominous warning in Sacramento and the joyous mood at the festival couldn't have been more stark. Glass artists showcased rows of handcrafted pipes. The Oaksterdam Bakery handed out samples of medicinal banana walnut bread. Managers at companies like Weed Maps and California Earth Supply collected resumes from job-seekers. A small line of patients waited to meet with the on-site doctor to see if they qualified for a state-sanctioned medical recommendation.
As news of the government's latest anti-marijuana efforts reached the expo, attendees remained unfazed. "I've been doing this for a long time," Dennis Rogers, the CEO of CannaKing, a roving dispensary he operates out of his van, told The Huffington Post. "We're in a state where it's legal, and you can't have federal agents everywhere. That's the bottom line."
"Everybody in this industry understands the playing field," added Alec Dixon, the director of client relations for SC Laboratories, a company that tests different strains of cannabis for potency and contamination. "All this really does is give us something to rally behind."
Medical marijuana has been legal for approved patients in California since voters passed Proposition 215 in 1996. Since then, it's grown into a flourishing above-ground industry, creating a host of "green" jobs that run the gamut from farmers and dispensary owners to public relations executives and insurance agents who specialize in pot cultivation.
But the plant remains illegal at the federal level. In the early years of the Obama administration, targeting medical marijuana operations did not appear to be high on the list of government priorities. A month after Obama's inauguration, Attorney General Eric Holder said that federal prosecutors would not enforce action against patients or providers that adhered to state law. Six months later, the new policy was officially articulated in the landmark Ogden memo: "[P]rosecution of individuals with cancer or other serious illnesses who use marijuana as part of a recommended treatment regimen consistent with applicable state law, or those caregivers in clear and unambiguous compliance with existing state law who provide such individuals with marijuana, is unlikely to be an efficient use of limited federal resources."
The DOJ reversed course earlier this year, issuing a memo in June that redefined "caregiver," and the department threatened to take action against pot dispensaries even in states that had legalized medicinal pot. Since that announcement, federal officials have engaged in a slew of intimidation tactics specifically aimed at California's industry.
Last Tuesday, the IRS sent a $2.4-million tax bill to Oakland's Harborside Health Center, the nation's largest medical marijuana dispensary, citing a portion of the tax code that prohibits drug-trafficking organizations from cost deductions. "We will be taxed out of existence," said Steve De Angelo, the center's executive director.
Two days later, a handful of San Francisco-based landlords who rent space to pot clubs received letters from federal officials warning them that the government could seize their property at any time for operating too close to local schools. Similar notes were sent to other dispensaries throughout the state.
The DOJ insists the latest crackdown is somehow in accordance with Obama's policy of leaving the issue to the states. "The actions taken today in California by our U.S. Attorneys and their law enforcement partners are consistent with the Department's commitment to enforcing existing federal laws, including the Controlled Substances Act, in all states," said Deputy Attorney General James Cole in a statement...
Ryan Grim is the author of "This is Your Country on Drugs: The Secret History of Getting High in America," available on Amazon.
Obama's War On Weed: White House Launches Crackdown On Medical Marijuana
10/11/11
Carly Schwartz & Ryan Grim
carly@huffingtonpost.com
ryan@huffingtonpost.com
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/11/war-on-weed-obama-marijuana_n_1005483.html
Showing posts with label Marijuana. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Marijuana. Show all posts
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Tobacco: The 17th Century Drug War
Charles C. Mann is the author of a new book that has been called a "historical Freakonomics": 1493 – How Europe's Discovery of the Americas Revolutionized Trade, Ecology and Life on Earth. Here's a piece by him from the London Independent:
Nicotiana tabacum, as botanists call it, was the first global commodity craze. Fun, exotic, hallucinogenic and addictive, it was – is – a near-perfect consumer product. England fell under its spell in the 1580s, when the survivors of the nation's first, unsuccessful colonies – the Roanoke ventures of Sir Walter Raleigh – landed in Brighton with strange, fiery clay tubes at their lips. Obviously conscious of the impact of their appearance, they descended on the docks, smoking languidly, like so many Elizabethan versions of James Dean and Humphrey Bogart. By 1607, when Jamestown was founded, London's streets were jammed with more than 7,000 tobacco "houses" – café-like places where the city's growing throng of nicotine junkies could buy and consume tobacco.
None of this was exceptional. Between 1580 and 1610, Nicotiana tabacum, a species originally from the Amazon, became a fixture in every inhabited part of the earth. Almost immediately it attracted governmental ire. Bans on tobacco, some enforced by the death penalty, were enacted by France, Russia, Sweden, the Ottoman and Mughal empires, and the Japanese shogunate. The smoking weed quickly became so ubiquitous in Manchuria, according to historian Timothy Brook, that in 1635 the Khan, Hong Taiji, discovered that his soldiers "were selling their weapons to buy tobacco". Enraged, he prohibited smoking.
No anti-tobacco crusader is better known than King James I, whose Counterblaste to Tobacco, issued in 1604, proclaimed that smoking was "lothsome to the eye, hatefull to the nose, harmefull to the braine, [and] dangerous to the lungs". James sought to ban tobacco outright, but was rebuffed by a hostile Parliament. Pope Urban VIII was more successful. Infuriated by reports that priests were celebrating mass with lighted cigars, the Pope promptly – and successfully – prohibited smoking in the pulpit.
Demand continued unabated. Even as James thundered against tobacco's destructive effect on society, the weed itself was sometimes sold for its weight in silver in London. In the English colony of Bermuda, farmers routinely purchased brides for bags of tobacco (typically, the weight was about 100lb). Across the globe, gangs of young smokers in Edo (Tokyo) were so outraged by the high price of a smoke that they routinely ransacked tobacco warehouses. Customs officials in Istanbul, unable to afford a pipeful, routinely shook down visitors for smoking supplies.
Coupled with high demand, tobacco criminalisation drove up its price, which led to an explosion of tobacco bootleggery that continues to the present day. Pirates grew and sold tobacco throughout the Caribbean, especially in Venezuela. Outraging the Spanish crown, Spanish and Indian smallholders in remote colonial areas converted their wheat and maize plots to tobacco, then sold the harvest to Dutch and English pirates. So powerful did the gangs become that the Spanish ambassador to England complained that English demand was causing the collapse of law and order in tobacco country. (This is not confined to the past: cigarette smuggling remains a major industry in pirate havens from southern Italy to South-east China, but is also common in less rambunctious areas; police in suburban Maryland rolled up an alleged tobacco ring in the eastern US just last month.) Even as moralists like James thundered that tobacco was destroying the family, royal tax officials were eyeing its legalisation. Few programs generate revenue more reliably than a tax on an addictive substance.
In economic terms, addicts' cravings are inelastic – they are relatively insensitive to cost. If they keep getting their hit, they will happily pay the higher prices associated with government-imposed taxes, fees and levies. Within a year of his Counterblaste, the English government had instituted its first tobacco tax.
Prohibitionists might note a disturbing parallel. Everywhere in the world, the lure of tobacco money eventually overwhelmed efforts to prevent addiction. The son of Hong Taiji, the Manchu Khan who banned tobacco, finished seizing China and in 1644 became the first emperor of the Qing dynasty. He, too, fought against tobacco. But Hong Taiji's grandson, the Kangxi emperor, started smoking at the age of seven – and watched new tobacco taxes become major financial contributors to the Qing state.
One by one, other states slowly followed the Manchu lead, legalising and taxing tobacco. Marijuana is following the same path, slowly becoming tax fodder in nation after nation. Here Mughal India was perhaps the first society to reverse course (the East India Company later added opium taxes to the mix). Decades later, countries such as the Netherlands followed the Mughal path. Even in the notoriously anti-drug US, places such as California and Massachusetts, hard hit by recession, are considering marijuana's use as a taxable commodity.
Yet history should not give too much encouragement to the forces behind unfettered legalisation, either. If tobacco and other drugs are a guide, legalisation is followed, eventually, by social disapproval. Everywhere that tobacco has become a fully accepted commodity its use has – eventually, after decades – declined. The tobacco-besotted colonial US, the nation that held the world's most permissive views on tobacco during the 17th and 18th centuries, ultimately became the land where bewildered European and Asian smokers would be ejected from restaurants, cafés and bars. Even as recently as the 1980s, Britons mocked the "puritanical" anti-tobacco crusades in the US. They have fallen into line. So have the Italians, Turks and even the Chinese.
Drugs that become uncool fall into disuse, as tobacco is falling into disuse today. If history is any guide, our grandchildren's grandchildren will regard today's struggles over marijuana, cocaine and opium as bewildering fossils of an unsavvy past...
The long shadow line: History and the war on drugs
Charles C Mann
Monday, 10 October 2011
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/history/the-long-shadow-line-history-and-the-war-on-drugs-2368050.html
Nicotiana tabacum, as botanists call it, was the first global commodity craze. Fun, exotic, hallucinogenic and addictive, it was – is – a near-perfect consumer product. England fell under its spell in the 1580s, when the survivors of the nation's first, unsuccessful colonies – the Roanoke ventures of Sir Walter Raleigh – landed in Brighton with strange, fiery clay tubes at their lips. Obviously conscious of the impact of their appearance, they descended on the docks, smoking languidly, like so many Elizabethan versions of James Dean and Humphrey Bogart. By 1607, when Jamestown was founded, London's streets were jammed with more than 7,000 tobacco "houses" – café-like places where the city's growing throng of nicotine junkies could buy and consume tobacco.
None of this was exceptional. Between 1580 and 1610, Nicotiana tabacum, a species originally from the Amazon, became a fixture in every inhabited part of the earth. Almost immediately it attracted governmental ire. Bans on tobacco, some enforced by the death penalty, were enacted by France, Russia, Sweden, the Ottoman and Mughal empires, and the Japanese shogunate. The smoking weed quickly became so ubiquitous in Manchuria, according to historian Timothy Brook, that in 1635 the Khan, Hong Taiji, discovered that his soldiers "were selling their weapons to buy tobacco". Enraged, he prohibited smoking.
No anti-tobacco crusader is better known than King James I, whose Counterblaste to Tobacco, issued in 1604, proclaimed that smoking was "lothsome to the eye, hatefull to the nose, harmefull to the braine, [and] dangerous to the lungs". James sought to ban tobacco outright, but was rebuffed by a hostile Parliament. Pope Urban VIII was more successful. Infuriated by reports that priests were celebrating mass with lighted cigars, the Pope promptly – and successfully – prohibited smoking in the pulpit.
Demand continued unabated. Even as James thundered against tobacco's destructive effect on society, the weed itself was sometimes sold for its weight in silver in London. In the English colony of Bermuda, farmers routinely purchased brides for bags of tobacco (typically, the weight was about 100lb). Across the globe, gangs of young smokers in Edo (Tokyo) were so outraged by the high price of a smoke that they routinely ransacked tobacco warehouses. Customs officials in Istanbul, unable to afford a pipeful, routinely shook down visitors for smoking supplies.
Coupled with high demand, tobacco criminalisation drove up its price, which led to an explosion of tobacco bootleggery that continues to the present day. Pirates grew and sold tobacco throughout the Caribbean, especially in Venezuela. Outraging the Spanish crown, Spanish and Indian smallholders in remote colonial areas converted their wheat and maize plots to tobacco, then sold the harvest to Dutch and English pirates. So powerful did the gangs become that the Spanish ambassador to England complained that English demand was causing the collapse of law and order in tobacco country. (This is not confined to the past: cigarette smuggling remains a major industry in pirate havens from southern Italy to South-east China, but is also common in less rambunctious areas; police in suburban Maryland rolled up an alleged tobacco ring in the eastern US just last month.) Even as moralists like James thundered that tobacco was destroying the family, royal tax officials were eyeing its legalisation. Few programs generate revenue more reliably than a tax on an addictive substance.
In economic terms, addicts' cravings are inelastic – they are relatively insensitive to cost. If they keep getting their hit, they will happily pay the higher prices associated with government-imposed taxes, fees and levies. Within a year of his Counterblaste, the English government had instituted its first tobacco tax.
Prohibitionists might note a disturbing parallel. Everywhere in the world, the lure of tobacco money eventually overwhelmed efforts to prevent addiction. The son of Hong Taiji, the Manchu Khan who banned tobacco, finished seizing China and in 1644 became the first emperor of the Qing dynasty. He, too, fought against tobacco. But Hong Taiji's grandson, the Kangxi emperor, started smoking at the age of seven – and watched new tobacco taxes become major financial contributors to the Qing state.
One by one, other states slowly followed the Manchu lead, legalising and taxing tobacco. Marijuana is following the same path, slowly becoming tax fodder in nation after nation. Here Mughal India was perhaps the first society to reverse course (the East India Company later added opium taxes to the mix). Decades later, countries such as the Netherlands followed the Mughal path. Even in the notoriously anti-drug US, places such as California and Massachusetts, hard hit by recession, are considering marijuana's use as a taxable commodity.
Yet history should not give too much encouragement to the forces behind unfettered legalisation, either. If tobacco and other drugs are a guide, legalisation is followed, eventually, by social disapproval. Everywhere that tobacco has become a fully accepted commodity its use has – eventually, after decades – declined. The tobacco-besotted colonial US, the nation that held the world's most permissive views on tobacco during the 17th and 18th centuries, ultimately became the land where bewildered European and Asian smokers would be ejected from restaurants, cafés and bars. Even as recently as the 1980s, Britons mocked the "puritanical" anti-tobacco crusades in the US. They have fallen into line. So have the Italians, Turks and even the Chinese.
Drugs that become uncool fall into disuse, as tobacco is falling into disuse today. If history is any guide, our grandchildren's grandchildren will regard today's struggles over marijuana, cocaine and opium as bewildering fossils of an unsavvy past...
The long shadow line: History and the war on drugs
Charles C Mann
Monday, 10 October 2011
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/history/the-long-shadow-line-history-and-the-war-on-drugs-2368050.html
Dutch to reclassify high-strength cannabis
Anna Holligan 7 October 2011
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-15225270
Robalini's Note: Talk about a bait and switch: the far right parties in Amsterdam - which gained political power scapegoating Muslims as a social menace - have instead gone after regulating marijuana.
The famous cannabis-selling coffee shops of the Netherlands are facing new tighter restrictions.
The Dutch government is reclassifying high-strength cannabis to put it in the same category as hard drugs.
It says the amount of the main active chemical in the drug, THC, has gone up, making it far more potent than a generation ago.
It means the coffee shops will be forced to take the popular, high-strength varieties off their shelves.
Dutch politicians say high-strength cannabis, known as "skunk", is more dangerous than it was before.
In the future, anything containing more than 15% THC will be treated the same way as hard drugs, such as cocaine and ecstasy.
The move is a big blow to the coffee shops - and means they will have to replace about 80% of their stock with weaker varieties.
Marc Josemans, who runs a cafe in Maastricht, says he believes that the new tough approach is being driven by the increasingly influential far-right in Dutch politics.
"You immediately can taste the difference. Everything which is considered unusual for them - they call it 'left hobbies' and under this name they want to ban all 'left hobbies', like using cannabis," he told the BBC.
The move means that the Netherlands' traditional tolerance of soft drugs is to become a thing of the past.
The ban on the high-strength "skunk" is expected to be introduced next year, when police will start doing random checks in the cafes.
From next year, the Dutch government also plans to ban tourists from entering coffee shops across the country.
Amsterdam and other cities are strongly opposed to such a ban.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-15225270
Robalini's Note: Talk about a bait and switch: the far right parties in Amsterdam - which gained political power scapegoating Muslims as a social menace - have instead gone after regulating marijuana.
The famous cannabis-selling coffee shops of the Netherlands are facing new tighter restrictions.
The Dutch government is reclassifying high-strength cannabis to put it in the same category as hard drugs.
It says the amount of the main active chemical in the drug, THC, has gone up, making it far more potent than a generation ago.
It means the coffee shops will be forced to take the popular, high-strength varieties off their shelves.
Dutch politicians say high-strength cannabis, known as "skunk", is more dangerous than it was before.
In the future, anything containing more than 15% THC will be treated the same way as hard drugs, such as cocaine and ecstasy.
The move is a big blow to the coffee shops - and means they will have to replace about 80% of their stock with weaker varieties.
Marc Josemans, who runs a cafe in Maastricht, says he believes that the new tough approach is being driven by the increasingly influential far-right in Dutch politics.
"You immediately can taste the difference. Everything which is considered unusual for them - they call it 'left hobbies' and under this name they want to ban all 'left hobbies', like using cannabis," he told the BBC.
The move means that the Netherlands' traditional tolerance of soft drugs is to become a thing of the past.
The ban on the high-strength "skunk" is expected to be introduced next year, when police will start doing random checks in the cafes.
From next year, the Dutch government also plans to ban tourists from entering coffee shops across the country.
Amsterdam and other cities are strongly opposed to such a ban.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
ATF: No firearms for those who use marijuana legally
Eric W. Dolan
Wednesday, September 28th, 2011
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/09/28/atf-no-firearms-for-those-who-use-marijuana-legally/
Those who use marijuana legally in accordance with their state's laws cannot be sold or possess firearms, according to a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) memo issued on September 21.
The memo to gun dealers in the United States, obtained by the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), stated that it was illegal under federal law to sell firearms to anyone reasonably suspected of using a controlled substance.
The use of medical marijuana has been legalized in 16 states and the District of Columbia, but marijuana is currently a Schedule I drug under the federal Control Substances Act. Schedule I is the most restrictive classification, reserved drugs with a high potential for abuse and no accepted medicinal value.
"Therefore, any person who uses or is addicted to marijuana, regardless of whether his or her State has passed legislation authorizing marijuana use of medicinal purposes, is an unlawful user of or addicted to a controlled substance, and is prohibited by Federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition," the memo said.
Wednesday, September 28th, 2011
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/09/28/atf-no-firearms-for-those-who-use-marijuana-legally/
Those who use marijuana legally in accordance with their state's laws cannot be sold or possess firearms, according to a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) memo issued on September 21.
The memo to gun dealers in the United States, obtained by the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), stated that it was illegal under federal law to sell firearms to anyone reasonably suspected of using a controlled substance.
The use of medical marijuana has been legalized in 16 states and the District of Columbia, but marijuana is currently a Schedule I drug under the federal Control Substances Act. Schedule I is the most restrictive classification, reserved drugs with a high potential for abuse and no accepted medicinal value.
"Therefore, any person who uses or is addicted to marijuana, regardless of whether his or her State has passed legislation authorizing marijuana use of medicinal purposes, is an unlawful user of or addicted to a controlled substance, and is prohibited by Federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition," the memo said.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Battle of the Kannabis Kolas
Canna Cola V Kushtown Sodas
Canna Cola
http://www.drinkcannacola.com/
Canna Cola is the World's Most Recognized Brand in Medical Marijuana. Providing Tasty THC Infused Carbonated Beverages for Medical Marijuana Users. Our Kick-Ass Flavors Include Orange Kush, Sour Diesel, Grape Ape, Doc Weed and Our Classic Canna Cola.
Canna Cola™ Just Say Yes™
Coming to a Medical Marijuana Dispensary Near You Soon!
Canna Cola started out with a simple goal – to create a great tasting, effective, medical marijuana beverage while simultaneously legitimizing an unjustly stigmatized industry. We felt the most effective way to achieve this was to create the first nationally recognized brand of medical marijuana edibles. And so we did, and Canna Cola was born.
Medical marijuana should not be relegated to a treatment of last resort. Dispensaries shouldn’t forced to locate in the most seedy and run down parts of town, and patients shouldn’t have to worry that they’ll get fired from their job for following a doctor’s recommendation. Medical marijuana is a legitimate choice among many options to improve your physical and mental well being. However, as we can see by our federal and state laws, even those states that allow for medical marijuana, that we continue to put marijuana in an entirely different than other medicines.
Drug stores are welcome in any neighborhood, even though most of them also sell alcohol and cigarettes. Someone can take Vicodin, Percocet and any number of highly addictive prescription drugs and they will never get fired from their job for taking their legally obtained medicine. Over-the-counter, we all have easy access to decongestants, pain killers, expectorants, sedatives, anti-inflammatories and an endless selection of pharmaceuticals concoctions. We shop for these in brightly lit neighborhood stores, free from judgment and social stigma, and take these medicines on a self regulated as-need basis.
We believe that one of the reasons for this paradox is that much of the public, and most of our legislators, still think of medical marijuana as a scary, underground activity run by drug lords and pushers. They feel it’s shameful and it should be hidden from the public. Yes, it is legal, but that doesn’t mean they have to like it or make it easy on anyone. And so they do, at every opportunity, with zoning restrictions or even outright bans.
This is of course directly connected to a mindset formulated from decades of irrational prohibition which forced honest, hard working citizens to seek their marijuana though illegal means and prevented any discussion of marijuana use from a scientific, cultural, constitutional, and economic perspective.
Compounding the prejudice is the medical marijuana industry’s own self isolation. In the medical marijuana community, the dominant idea is to run silent and deep – don’t draw attention to yourself. While this is a legitimate short term strategy, it only re-enforces the public’s perception that this is somehow “wrong”. You can’t demand to be treated as a legitimate business, yet also shroud yourself in secrecy. Your silence won’t protect you.
Canna Cola is founded on the idea that taking your medication should be a life afirming experience free from shame and stigma. The idea that taking your medicine shouldn’t be an enjoyable experience is not only cruel but counterproductive to healing and the relieving of suffering. Patients seeks out medical marijuana for various reason. Some are fighting cancer and chemotherapy leaves them too nauseous to eat. Some are wracked by muscle spasms that prevent them from working. Some are plagued by such chronic body aches that they can barely sleep. But some say these people haven’t suffered enough. They should also be required to take medicine that tastes bitter, unpleasant, and comes in a drab gray bottle.
Canna Cola believes that having a debilitating illness is more than enough burden. There is no need to add to it. Our packaging is designed to bring happiness to those who are suffering. We use bright colors and humorous, yet sophisticated graphics and names intentionally. When a patient holds our bottle we want them to smile, and when they drink it we want them to have pleasurable experience. It’s well known that the mere act of smiling boosts your immune system, lowers your blood pressure and releases endorphins into your system. So while laughter is not necessarily the best medicine, feeling happy is a critical part to fighting disease and recovering from illness. When a cancer patient picks up a bottle of Canna Cola to counteract the ravages of chemotherapy, it’s supposed to bring a smile to their face. Bringing joy to those who are suffering is nothing to be ashamed of and the reason we exist.
Clay Butler
President and Co-Founder
The idea that taking your medicine shouldn’t be an enjoyable experience is not only cruel but counterproductive to healing and the relieving of suffering. Patients seeks out medical marijuana for various reason. Some are fighting cancer and chemotherapy leaves them too nauseous to eat. Some are wracked by muscle spasms that prevent them from working. Some are plagued by such chronic body aches that they can barely sleep. But some say these people haven’t suffered enough. They should also be required to take medicine that tastes bitter, unpleasant, and comes in a drab gray bottle.
We believe that having a debilitating illness is more than enough burden. There is no need to add to it. Our packaging is designed to bring happiness to those who are suffering. We use bright colors and humorous, yet sophisticated graphics and names intentionally. When a patient holds our bottle we want them to smile and when they drink it we want them to have pleasurable experience. It’s well known that the mere act of smiling boosts your immune system, lowers your blood pressure and releases endorphins into your system. So while laughter is not necessarily the best medicine, feeling happy is a critical part to fighting disease and recovering from illness. When a cancer patient picks up a bottle of Canna Cola to counteract the ravages of chemotherapy, it’s supposed to bring a smile to their face. Bringing joy to those who are suffering is nothing to be ashamed of and the reason we exist.
Bottlers
We are seeking the most committed, experienced, and ambitious medical marijuana providers for exclusive bottling partnerships in all fourteen medical marijuana states. Previous bottling experience is not necessary but you must be experienced in extracts and edibles, run a clean operation, and have the working capital to launch the world’s most recognized brand of medical marijuana in your state.
Email us at bottlers@drinkcannacola.com
Dispensaries
Would you like to carry Canna Cola in your dispensary?
Email us at dispensary@drinkcannacola.com
Investors
Would you like to have a part in conquering the world?
Email us at investors@drinkcannacola.com
Licensing
We are seeking creative opportunities with well capitalized and experienced licensees and manufactures who would like to build the world’s most recognized brand of medical marijuana.
Email us at licensing@drinkcannacola.com
Media inquires.
Email us at media@drinkcannacola.com
General Email: info@drinkcannacola.com
6120 West Tropicana, Suite A16-248
Las Vegas NV. 89103
*
Kushtown Sodas
http://www.kushtownusa.com/
KUSHTOWN SODAS, SHOTS, BUBBLE GUM, DONT FORGET OUR BBQ AND HOT SAUCE!!!
In this ever changing industry; Kushtown USA is inspired to make a difference. Our purpose is to provide a healthcare alternative to a growing patient population. Based out of Santa Clarita, California; Kushtown USA has spent the last seven years dedicated to providing quality, natural products to our consumers. Our objective is simple – to make delicious products that are effective in the treatment of chronic pain.
Working in compliance with Proposition 215 and in accordance with current health and safety codes-we have infused all of our products with quality grade THC. Using low glycemic, cold pressed, food grade kosher glycerin based medication that cause our products to not only be delicious, but to also offer a stronger, longer and more physical effect.
The goal of Kushtown USA has always been to work smart and efficient. To lead in the development of edible products, to educate and to make positive long term impacts on both the industry and our communities.
Soda Flavors
Beach Fuel
Bubba’s Old Fashioned Root Beer
Bulldog Fuel
Chem Dawg’s Cherry Soda
Cherry Kushtown Kola
Cherry Lemonade Headband Soda
Gingerjuana
Grandaddy Purple Grape Soda
Granny’s Apple Soda
Empire Fuel
Humboldt County Green Tea
Humboldt’s Finest Lemon Ice Tea
Kushtown Kola
Kushtown Soda Sugarless
LA Confidential Fuel
LA Fuel
Lion Fuel
Master Kush Energy Drink
Maui Waui Punch
Orange Wreck Soda
Pineapple Express
Professor Kush
Pure Kush Energy Drink
Sactown Fuel
San Diego Fuel
San Fernando Valley Fuel
Skywalker Creme Soda
Sour DZL Fuel
Strawberry Cough Soda
KushShots
Kush Shot Fruit Punch
Kush Shot Ice Tea
Kush Shot Orange
Other Products
Kushtown Gum
Kushtown BBQ Sauce
Kushtown Hot Sauce
Call for Pricing!
Northern California Representative
Harold J. Moret – (424) 200-1144
Southern California Representative
Desmond – (323) 803-0852
Kushtown products are available in your local CA collectives. If your favorite collective does not carry Kushtown products, please ask them to!
In compliance with H&S Code 11362.5
ONLY collectives or dispensaries may order from Kushtown per Prop 215 to be in compliance
http://www.drinkcannacola.com/
Canna Cola is the World's Most Recognized Brand in Medical Marijuana. Providing Tasty THC Infused Carbonated Beverages for Medical Marijuana Users. Our Kick-Ass Flavors Include Orange Kush, Sour Diesel, Grape Ape, Doc Weed and Our Classic Canna Cola.
Canna Cola™ Just Say Yes™
Coming to a Medical Marijuana Dispensary Near You Soon!
Canna Cola started out with a simple goal – to create a great tasting, effective, medical marijuana beverage while simultaneously legitimizing an unjustly stigmatized industry. We felt the most effective way to achieve this was to create the first nationally recognized brand of medical marijuana edibles. And so we did, and Canna Cola was born.
Medical marijuana should not be relegated to a treatment of last resort. Dispensaries shouldn’t forced to locate in the most seedy and run down parts of town, and patients shouldn’t have to worry that they’ll get fired from their job for following a doctor’s recommendation. Medical marijuana is a legitimate choice among many options to improve your physical and mental well being. However, as we can see by our federal and state laws, even those states that allow for medical marijuana, that we continue to put marijuana in an entirely different than other medicines.
Drug stores are welcome in any neighborhood, even though most of them also sell alcohol and cigarettes. Someone can take Vicodin, Percocet and any number of highly addictive prescription drugs and they will never get fired from their job for taking their legally obtained medicine. Over-the-counter, we all have easy access to decongestants, pain killers, expectorants, sedatives, anti-inflammatories and an endless selection of pharmaceuticals concoctions. We shop for these in brightly lit neighborhood stores, free from judgment and social stigma, and take these medicines on a self regulated as-need basis.
We believe that one of the reasons for this paradox is that much of the public, and most of our legislators, still think of medical marijuana as a scary, underground activity run by drug lords and pushers. They feel it’s shameful and it should be hidden from the public. Yes, it is legal, but that doesn’t mean they have to like it or make it easy on anyone. And so they do, at every opportunity, with zoning restrictions or even outright bans.
This is of course directly connected to a mindset formulated from decades of irrational prohibition which forced honest, hard working citizens to seek their marijuana though illegal means and prevented any discussion of marijuana use from a scientific, cultural, constitutional, and economic perspective.
Compounding the prejudice is the medical marijuana industry’s own self isolation. In the medical marijuana community, the dominant idea is to run silent and deep – don’t draw attention to yourself. While this is a legitimate short term strategy, it only re-enforces the public’s perception that this is somehow “wrong”. You can’t demand to be treated as a legitimate business, yet also shroud yourself in secrecy. Your silence won’t protect you.
Canna Cola is founded on the idea that taking your medication should be a life afirming experience free from shame and stigma. The idea that taking your medicine shouldn’t be an enjoyable experience is not only cruel but counterproductive to healing and the relieving of suffering. Patients seeks out medical marijuana for various reason. Some are fighting cancer and chemotherapy leaves them too nauseous to eat. Some are wracked by muscle spasms that prevent them from working. Some are plagued by such chronic body aches that they can barely sleep. But some say these people haven’t suffered enough. They should also be required to take medicine that tastes bitter, unpleasant, and comes in a drab gray bottle.
Canna Cola believes that having a debilitating illness is more than enough burden. There is no need to add to it. Our packaging is designed to bring happiness to those who are suffering. We use bright colors and humorous, yet sophisticated graphics and names intentionally. When a patient holds our bottle we want them to smile, and when they drink it we want them to have pleasurable experience. It’s well known that the mere act of smiling boosts your immune system, lowers your blood pressure and releases endorphins into your system. So while laughter is not necessarily the best medicine, feeling happy is a critical part to fighting disease and recovering from illness. When a cancer patient picks up a bottle of Canna Cola to counteract the ravages of chemotherapy, it’s supposed to bring a smile to their face. Bringing joy to those who are suffering is nothing to be ashamed of and the reason we exist.
Clay Butler
President and Co-Founder
The idea that taking your medicine shouldn’t be an enjoyable experience is not only cruel but counterproductive to healing and the relieving of suffering. Patients seeks out medical marijuana for various reason. Some are fighting cancer and chemotherapy leaves them too nauseous to eat. Some are wracked by muscle spasms that prevent them from working. Some are plagued by such chronic body aches that they can barely sleep. But some say these people haven’t suffered enough. They should also be required to take medicine that tastes bitter, unpleasant, and comes in a drab gray bottle.
We believe that having a debilitating illness is more than enough burden. There is no need to add to it. Our packaging is designed to bring happiness to those who are suffering. We use bright colors and humorous, yet sophisticated graphics and names intentionally. When a patient holds our bottle we want them to smile and when they drink it we want them to have pleasurable experience. It’s well known that the mere act of smiling boosts your immune system, lowers your blood pressure and releases endorphins into your system. So while laughter is not necessarily the best medicine, feeling happy is a critical part to fighting disease and recovering from illness. When a cancer patient picks up a bottle of Canna Cola to counteract the ravages of chemotherapy, it’s supposed to bring a smile to their face. Bringing joy to those who are suffering is nothing to be ashamed of and the reason we exist.
Bottlers
We are seeking the most committed, experienced, and ambitious medical marijuana providers for exclusive bottling partnerships in all fourteen medical marijuana states. Previous bottling experience is not necessary but you must be experienced in extracts and edibles, run a clean operation, and have the working capital to launch the world’s most recognized brand of medical marijuana in your state.
Email us at bottlers@drinkcannacola.com
Dispensaries
Would you like to carry Canna Cola in your dispensary?
Email us at dispensary@drinkcannacola.com
Investors
Would you like to have a part in conquering the world?
Email us at investors@drinkcannacola.com
Licensing
We are seeking creative opportunities with well capitalized and experienced licensees and manufactures who would like to build the world’s most recognized brand of medical marijuana.
Email us at licensing@drinkcannacola.com
Media inquires.
Email us at media@drinkcannacola.com
General Email: info@drinkcannacola.com
6120 West Tropicana, Suite A16-248
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Kushtown Sodas
http://www.kushtownusa.com/
KUSHTOWN SODAS, SHOTS, BUBBLE GUM, DONT FORGET OUR BBQ AND HOT SAUCE!!!
In this ever changing industry; Kushtown USA is inspired to make a difference. Our purpose is to provide a healthcare alternative to a growing patient population. Based out of Santa Clarita, California; Kushtown USA has spent the last seven years dedicated to providing quality, natural products to our consumers. Our objective is simple – to make delicious products that are effective in the treatment of chronic pain.
Working in compliance with Proposition 215 and in accordance with current health and safety codes-we have infused all of our products with quality grade THC. Using low glycemic, cold pressed, food grade kosher glycerin based medication that cause our products to not only be delicious, but to also offer a stronger, longer and more physical effect.
The goal of Kushtown USA has always been to work smart and efficient. To lead in the development of edible products, to educate and to make positive long term impacts on both the industry and our communities.
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Call for Pricing!
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Harold J. Moret – (424) 200-1144
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Kushtown products are available in your local CA collectives. If your favorite collective does not carry Kushtown products, please ask them to!
In compliance with H&S Code 11362.5
ONLY collectives or dispensaries may order from Kushtown per Prop 215 to be in compliance
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
TENNESSEE POT CAVE
http://www.ssqq.com/archive/vinlin19.htm
In December 2005, Fred Strunk was arrested for his part in constructing and operating a secret marijuana farm in a cave under their house. Their pot farm was located on Dixon Springs Road in eastern Trousdale County, Tennessee. This area is about 40 miles northeast of Nashville. Here is the story.
THE AMAZING POT FARM!!
Written by Rick Archer, November 2006
Long ago I concluded that marijuana is probably less damaging than alcohol. But since alcohol is legal, whenever it is time to relax a little, I have decided it is much easier to drink than get stoned. That said, I don't worry too much about people who smoke pot. I think the laws against marijuana are way behind the times.
I smoked marijuana several times when I was in college (40 years ago). Yes, I found smoking pot worked wonders for music, food, and you know what. But then I noticed how difficult it was to concentrate on my studies the day after. Realizing my problem was directly related to marijuana use the previous evening, I decided there was no way I was going to jeopardize my grades again. So that was the end of that. I chose the Margarita over the Marijuana.
I hate hard drugs and I dislike the violence associated with them. At the same time, I openly admit I got a huge kick out of the story you will soon be reading. I have no idea how to explain the hypocrisy inherent to my interest in this story. Even though I am a law-abiding citizen with a clean slate, I guess I have a dark side that was impressed by the guts and the ingenuity of the men who put together the pot farm.
PREFACE
Over twenty years ago I had an indirect experience with a sophisticated marijuana operation. One morning in 1985 I opened the morning paper to discover that one of my SSQQ dance students had been arrested. Goodness gracious, he had been busted for operating a pot farm! With morbid fascination, I read the details of how one of our fellow dancers had been taken into police custody for operating a marijuana farm up in the hill country outside of Austin.
The man’s name was Robert. Since Robert was a very popular guy at the studio, naturally we were all pretty shocked. Although he was considered a bit of a rogue, Robert was friendly and outgoing. No one had a clue what he had been up to in his spare time.
Using agriculture skills he gained at Texas A&M, Robert had devised a state-of-the-art greenhouse complete with grow lights and a sprinkler system that operated automatically. The pot farm basically ran itself. Robert only visited the place once a week until it was time to harvest the crop.
I don’t remember exactly how Robert got caught, but my feeble memory suggests someone who lived in the sparsely populated rural hills noticed how odd it was to have the lights on in the dark of the early AM. Curious, the neighbor walked over for a closer look. Once the person figured out what was going on, he alerted the authorities who decided to stake out the building until Robert showed up. Surprise, surprise.
Robert did NOT want to go to jail. Robert told us he was just the caretaker for someone else who put up the money (no, it wasn't me!) But Robert had been caught red-handed. Despite trying every legal maneuver he could think of, Robert ended up serving a couple years of jail time.
As for me, I live life on the straight and narrow. But that doesn't keep me from studying people like Robert with fascination. The last time I heard of Robert, he was running a business for men who wanted to marry Russian wives. From Russia With Love!! Same old Robert - always into risky business.
Some people just aren't cut out for the normal life. They would rather live life on the edge of danger. Our story now turns to another man - Fred Strunk - who risked everything for a secret marijuana cave.
THE GREAT TENNESSEE DRUG BUST
In December 2005, Fred Strunk, Brian Gibson, and Greg Compton were arrested for their part in constructing and operating a secret marijuana farm in a cave under their house.
Their pot farm was located on Dixon Springs Road in eastern Trousdale County, Tennessee. This area is about 40 miles northeast of Nashville.
Trousdale County is not exactly a well-known center for criminal activity. Located in the hills of rural northern Tennessee, Trousdale is the smallest county in the state.
This story seemed like an episode straight out of the Dukes of Hazzard - three super-smart rogues trying to outwit the hick country sheriff! However, this time it was the police who came away the winner.
What the police discovered was nothing short of amazing. Operating on reports of suspicious activity, they raided a beautiful A-frame home built in the middle of nowhere. From the outside, the pot house looked like a beautiful vacation home out in the woods, but investigators quickly realized the exterior served as a prop designed to conceal the amazing pot farm below. There was a lot more going on in that house than met the eye.
In an underground cavern located beneath the stylish A-frame home, the police found a sophisticated operation which grew as much as 100 pounds of marijuana every eight weeks. This secret high-tech underground cave seemed more likely to be part of a Hollywood drug movie too crazy to believe, except that in this case it was real.
Using two rooms, our clever crooks were able to generate 12 to 14 crops a year. Each crop had an estimated street value around $500,000 or more. Do the math. At this rate, 13 crops a year would bring in $6-8 Million.
That's a lot more than you or I make, yes? The difference is that you and I aren't going to jail. This incident became the biggest pot bust in Middle Tennessee history.
PICTURES OF THE POT FARM
Rick Archer's Note: As you read this story, please keep in mind I have absolutely no personal connection to this story.
I live in Houston, Texas. This happened in Tennessee. I have never met any of these people in my life.
One day in 2007 I received all the pictures posted here in an email that was being forwarded around the Internet. The email contained these fascinating pictures, but had no explanation attached. This is only a guess, but I think the email was created by one of the policemen who busted the pot farm.
I was so frustrated not to know the story!! Curious about the origin of the pictures, I researched the story on the Internet. Using Google, I came up with the answer. When I discovered the story behind the pictures, I combined the pictures from the email with the information I discovered, then added my own thoughts.
The house was built on top of a natural cave, but investigators say no one lived there. The house wasn’t even furnished. Hidden inside the house was a secret passageway into a cave.
A corridor led from the hidden doorway into the cave. The corridor had cinderblock walls, a concrete ceiling and floor.
The thick metal door to the secret passageway was held in place by a hydraulic motor. If someone didn't want you to enter, you would probably need a small bomb to get in.
Behind the hydraulic door, there was a 40 foot long sloping corridor that led downward to the cave.
The cave itself stretched 250 feet (nearly the length of a football field!) Inside the cave there were offices, living quarters, and a growing area. Our rogues spent no time at all in the house itself.
The office space came first, then a living area furnished with three or four colorful bunk beds for camping out in the cave, and a restroom with a shower and plenty of toiletries. Behind the restroom was a kitchen with a fully stocked pantry, air conditioning and microwave. All the comforts of home, only this cave was meant for business.
More than 1,000 marijuana plants were grown deep underground. There were two growing areas - one held starter plants and the other held maturing plants. Each room had its own irrigation system. The lights and climate control kept the air at the perfect temperature: 87 degrees.
One room housed 500 to 600 small marijuana plants. In the picture above, you can see the clever irrigation system laid on top of each 5 gallon bucket. A few well-timed drips a day worked wonders. Plants grew faster in this controlled environment than they would have grown naturally outside.
The second area had plants that were nearly ready to harvest. In this room you could see 500 to 600 plants as tall as six feet. Once the plants were harvested, their buckets were filled with new seedlings.
Just behind the growing area is the work space with all the equipment to keep the operation running.
Ironically, none of the three men who were charged with growing marijuana in that cave actually lived in Middle Tennessee. Nor did the investigators think the drugs were sold in Trousdale County. Apparently the growers thought that would be too dangerous so they took their crops elsewhere to sell. More likely they took it to nearby Nashville.
The operation was enormous. They would grow 100 pounds of pot every 8 weeks. The job of harvesting the marijuana was so big that they actually brought in outside labor!
To harvest the illegal crop, the men would hire a half-dozen Hispanic workers in Arizona and drive them all the way to Tennessee. For part of the journey the windows on the van would be covered so the workers did not know where they were. When they got close to home, they told the workers to put on blindfolds. They would drive the workers right into the cave, take off their masks, and let them out to begin working. (I wonder how on earth they talked these men into being blindfolded!)
And yes, the operation was quite profitable. The investigators said the men were growing enough marijuana to make $6 million to $8 million a year. Who would guess that farming could be so profitable!
THE SECRET ESCAPE ROUTE
In case the growers had to make a run for it, they built an escape route. It ran 150 yards from the cave to the surface.
First there was a hidden door in the ceiling of the pot growing area followed by a long ladder.
Just beneath the ground, there is another trap door. Here a hydraulic jack lifts the second trap door, which is hidden underneath a boulder. The escape hatch lets out 100 yards from the home. No one driving by would have any idea what lies beneath.
SO HOW DID THEY GET CAUGHT?
This place was a virtual modern fortress. In addition to the secret entrance and the secret escape hatch, there were surveillance cameras everywhere to warn the people inside of snoopers. With such a sophisticated and well-hidden operation, surely you wonder how did these villains ever got caught?
I wondered the same thing. In October 2006 my friend Gary Richardson sent me an email that contained all the pictures listed above. The pictures had captions included, but there was no story that accompanied the pictures. I wondered where the Pot Farm was located and what the story was. I asked Gary if he knew anything, but he replied he didn't know the story behind it.
I loved the pictures! But without the story, my imagination was going wild. What could possibly have tripped up such a terrific operation? Where did they make their mistake?
Unable to be satisfied with just the pictures, I decided to give the Internet and Google a try. I had one very big clue: the first picture said "a house in Tennessee." So I typed in "marijuana bust tennessee". Within seconds, I had the story. Isn't Google incredible?
Now I was able to learn how they got caught. I will give you the answer in a moment, but first see if you can guess. One of the possibilities below is correct.
Exorbitant cash expenditures made police suspicious.
A truck carrying marijuana got pulled over by State Police.
Electrical disruptions in the area made officials suspicious.
Husband cheated on wife and wife turned him in for revenge.
Argument about how to split the money turned one man into a rat.
Putting too much cash in one bank made a bank official suspicious.
A Mexican farm worker hired to help harvest the crop tipped the authorities.
A dealer got caught and pointed the finger up the chain to save his own neck.
A nearby neighbor was curious to learn why no one seemed to live in the house.
A huge infrared heat signature gave them away. The heat alone coming out from the ventilation system would appear on any thermal imaging device.
Are you ready for the answer? If you guessed #2 "Electrical Power Disruptions", then go to the head of the class. Yes, suspicious fluctuations in the area's electricity led to their downfall. Personally, I wouldn't have guessed this was the answer in a thousand years!
The men started stealing electricity from the local power lines to supply their fortress. They spliced into wires and caused power disruptions to the local area. Supervisors at the local power company were losing power somewhere and decided to look into it.
Back when Fred Strunk and company were building their invisible fort, the local electric company was asked to install a much larger transformer than usually required by a residence. But once the growing operation began, Fred and his gang found to their dismay they still did not have enough electrical power to operate the grow lamps required to raise 1,000 marijuana plants at a time.
They were afraid to ask the electric company to install more power since this would be a very suspicious request without a "reason" to explain the greater need.
Afraid to risk exposure by making a second request, this left them with two choices: reduce the size of their operation or steal the needed electricity. They chose the latter path. The men spliced into the Tri-County Electric line and began to steal electricity.
The huge thirst for electricity proved to be their downfall. The electricity company detected that a large amount of electricity was disappearing. Since there was no simple answer to account for the problem, the company had no choice but to track the problem down.
Investigators eventually discovered the illegal splices and alerted the police.
(RICK ARCHER'S NOTE ONE: I wish I could be more specific with the details about how they got caught. As I previously mentioned, I have absolutely no direct connection to this story at all. Everything I report is something I gained from research on the Internet. I am very curious myself to learn more details. I must have read through a dozen different stories on the Internet and what I have shared with you is all I could find out.
For a while, I wondered why the articles were so were vague when discussing how the police tracked Fred down. After all, the same stories gave a thorough description of Fred's punishment. After giving it some thought, I decided that the lack of information was deliberate. Most of the articles I read were from Tennessee newspapers.
Since the newspaper articles about Fred's Pot Bust were written from interviews with Law Enforcement, I suppose the police didn't want to be too candid about how they got onto to his trail and take the chance that other potential bad guys might learn from Fred's mistake.)
(RICK ARCHER'S NOTE TWO: In April 2008, I received an email that answers some of the questions I raised above. I cannot vouch for the authenticity of the email, but my gut feeling is that this account is correct. I appreciate the help!)
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE DOWNFALL OF THE POT FARM
-----Original Message-----
From: Mike
Sent: Thursday, April 17, 2008 9:13 AM
To: dance@ssqq.com
Subject: Pot farm information
"I received your page in an email and have more information for you.
My brothers and I hunt just outside of Hartsville, TN (near Trousdale) and one of my brothers lives there. The following story comes from my brother who knows many people up there.
He told me that an electric company official went to the property to investigate the power spike. He went to the front gate. Yes, the geniuses had an "estate" gate that you would imagine would be at the front of a mansion. The official could not raise anyone from the elaborate intercom system and hopped the side fence. He went to the house; found that there was nothing inside. The idiots didn't even put up heavy curtains or such to hide the vacant nature of the home. When the official was looking in the window someone came out of the woods with a shotgun and told him to get off of the property. Now, they may not be the most intelligent people in the world, but if you are doing something illegal, wouldn't you try to make the official leave without pissing him off? Well, you guessed it; the official went to the police and reported the suspicious incident.
My brothers and I have talked about this for a few years, and, being the stereotypical 'Monday morning quarterbacks", would have set up some other LEGAL operation going to account for the power spike. Our other explanations: small factory, brewery, computer server bank that could be turned off and on…
Also, a few more points: They found a dead neighbor a few months before the bust. It is thought that one of the escape hatches came out onto his property and the victim encountered one of the pot farmers. A few days after that they found two dead immigrants on outlying properties. It is thought that the pot farmers were tying up loose ends.
I hope this gives you more information. This story was better than most cop movies."
A RESPONSE TO THE LETTER ABOVE
From:
Sent: Wednesday, March 18, 2009 10:26 PM
To: dance@ssqq.com
Subject: pot farm
I was doing some web surfing and came across your page on the Tennessee pot farm. I grew up here in Nashville. All I have to say is Tennessee is the second largest producer of Marijuana in the country, next to California. It is very much a part of Appalachian culture and is used by just about everyone. Everything comes through Nashville. So much is produced and trafficked through here. And everyone knows everyone. It's a given here, you never say names and you never talk about who you know, because everyone knows everyone.
I mean there is a serious underground marijuana movement in Tennessee. The old farmers have taught the kids everything they know. Now all the kids are grown up and pulling the weight themselves. Anyways, in answer to your question, how did Freddie get caught? It was a snitch. He didn't want to pay what the wizard was asking, got pissed, and snitched. It was that simple. His whole operation went down because of some jerk. People out here are pros. It's never "carelessness" that gets them busted. It's always some greedy kid new to the game, thinks he can push his own prices. The snitch told the electric company, who then investigated.
I don't know what happened to the informant, but I'm sure he was probably a low life that got busted on some other charge. As for the dead immigrants in that other letter, I think that was bull. These guys were professional gardeners, not murderers, I mean its weed, not crack.
Anyways, you're probably already scratching your head wondering why someone is replying to something you posted in 2007.
DOES CRIME PAY?
The ancient axiom says "Crime doesn't pay". The Tennessee Pot Farm case gives an ironic slant to this saying.
If the men had simply "paid" for their electricity, no one would ever have said a thing. But they had a problem. Once they realized they didn't have enough current to run their operation to capacity, they had three choices:
They could run their operation at half-capacity and settle for a slower return on their enormous investment.
They could ask the electric company to give them more juice and risk revealing their setup.
They could steal the extra power and hope no one would notice.
You already know what their decision was. And their gamble paid off for a while. Mastermind Fred Strunk lived the good life with an expensive home in Florida plus a huge yacht.
But now Fred Strunk, 63, is not only facing 18 years of prison, he lost every cent he put into his operation. His house and all his holdings were confiscated by the government. The pot house is now up for sale! In addition, he is expected to reimburse Tri-City Electricity $61,000 for the energy he stole.
$61,000. That's quite a light bill.
INSIDE THE CRIMINAL MIND
Did you enjoy the pictures of the high-tech operation? Take a quick guess who published the pictures. No, it wasn't me. The pictures were published by the authorities who busted Fred and Friends. Like trophy hunters, the crime fighters wanted the world to see the evidence of their good police work.
Obviously the police were proud of themselves and rightly so. I can't imagine that Fred is your every-day run of the mill criminal. In the game of "Cops and Robbers", it had to be a thrill to catch a smart guy like Fred.
Truth be told, back when Fred was building his underground fortress, I would have put money that Fred would get away with it. Given what little I know about catching bad guys, I cannot imagine how an operation this well planned would ever be caught!
Therefore I suppose another reason to publicize this remarkable drug bust was to discourage other would-be pot farmers from trying as well.
One reason to publish the story is to make a point to all the bad guys out there. If someone as smart as Fred can be caught, what chance does anyone else have? Better not try it!
SO WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME?
As I put together this article, I realized that I admired Fred for his enormous gamble. In the process, I began to wonder why a law-abiding citizen like myself was on the side of the bad guys instead of the good guys. After all, these guys weren't exactly Robin Hood. They were drug dealers. I examined my feelings. Why was I vaguely sympathetic?
Embarrassing as it is, I have to admit sometimes I root for the bad guy.... depending on the crime of course. Growing up, my favorite TV show was the Fugitive! For that matter, Oceans 11, The Score, Topkapi, The Italian Job, After the Sunset, and the Cary Grant classic To Catch a Thief are just a few examples of movies that come to mind about smart thieves who risk it all to pull off dangerous capers.
We go to see movies like these because they are fun. I don't know about you, but as long as no one gets hurt, I usually root for the bad guys to get away with it. Nor do I think I am alone. Movies like these usually do good box office. If the thief is clever and there is no victim crying with grief, it is fun to root for the bad guy. On the other hand, if the bad guy is some crook like Bernie Madoff, I say lock him up for life. Obviously I am very conflicted.
In the movies, the bad guys often win. But that's the movies. In real life, Fred put it all on the line and lost everything. Fred lost his dream, his freedom, and millions of dollars. He is sentenced to be in prison till he is 81. This means Fred will likely be in his 70s before he gets parole. By the time he gets out I would imagine Fred will be a bit too old to give it another shot . And truth be told, I am sorry he got caught.
Hard drugs are one thing, but I guess memories from my hippie days remind me that marijuana isn't that dangerous. Furthermore, as crimes go, from what I read about Fred's escapade, there weren't any suffering victims.
But then on the other hand, if Fred hadn't gotten caught, we wouldn't have had his fascinating story to tickle our fantasies, now would we?
And of course you have to wonder if someone like Fred is smart enough to come up with an operation this clever, why didn't he consider trying to use his talents in a legal activity?
Don't cheaters win some of the time? If it isn't Fred, then it is my old friend Robert trying to cash in on a strange scam like Russian wives.
The temptation to take a short cut is out there for all of us.
I suppose that is why the police decided to send pictures of Fred's demise flying around the Internet. Fred is living proof that crime doesn't pay. Tales like the capture of Fred the Marijuana Man keeps ordinary people like me from harboring even the slightest fantasy that pulling off a daring crime might actually succeed.
December 2006: Dixon Springs “Drug Cave” house burns
Macon Country Times
Jerry Greenway
State and local authorities are investigating a Tuesday night, December 5 fire that destroyed a $1 million gated A-frame house in the Cato community of Trousdale County. Arson was strongly suspected in the 11 p.m. blaze, which brought firefighters from both Hartsville and Riddleton to the scene, and to the scene of a second fire which broke out at the same time and in the same general area, less than a mile from the Macon-Trousdale county line.
The resort-like home, located at 2125 Dixon Creek Road, hid an entrance to a sophisticated underground marijuana growing operation whose owner was arrested in December 2005. Authorities said a second home, located just a half mile away, also burned at about the same time Tuesday, pointing even more strongly to arson as the probable cause.
Metro Hartsville Sheriff's chief deputy Waylon Cothron said the state Fire Marshall and several other law enforcement agencies were investigating the cause of the fires.
The second fire, also called in at about 11 p.m., destroyed a vacant home undergoing renovation on the Scanty Branch Road. Formerly the residence of the late Edison Cornwell, the house which burned belonged to Raydean Gregory, according to Jerry Richmond of Hartsville radio station WTNK. “They'd been working on the house, thinking about putting in new windows, stuff like that,” said Richmond. “The shame of it is there was an old abandoned house that needed to be burned right next to the good house that was destroyed.”
“Obviously it was determined to be acts of arson because we had two unoccupied houses within a half mile of each other that burned at the same time,” Chief Cothron said.
The lavish, gated home, which had been confiscated by the state, had been used by Fred Strunk, 63, of Florida and two other men, Brian Gibson and Greg Compton to hide a large “pot cave” equipped with artificial lighting and irrigation system. The elaborate operation included an office and bunk room which could sleep eight, and escape hatches that could have been used to elude law enforcement.
The drug operation was one of the largest found in Tennessee, with capacity to grow as many as 800 marijuana plants and was alleged to have produced millions of dollars in illegal proceeds. Strunk pleaded guilty in Wilson County Criminal Court last summer to charges of manufacture of marijuana, money laundering and theft. Strunk had been lodged in the Macon County Jail for the period of time before his trial.
The other two men arrested with Strunk are also now serving time in connection with the crimes. The property in Trousdale County, along with boats, a van and other property in Florida, were also seized by the state and confiscated when Strunk was arrested.
“We deal with arson in this business on a regular basis,” said Assistant District Attorney David Durham, “Sometimes there is no motive or could simply be an act of vandalism. It could be a conspiracy. It could be a number of different things,” Durham said.
In December 2005, Fred Strunk was arrested for his part in constructing and operating a secret marijuana farm in a cave under their house. Their pot farm was located on Dixon Springs Road in eastern Trousdale County, Tennessee. This area is about 40 miles northeast of Nashville. Here is the story.
THE AMAZING POT FARM!!
Written by Rick Archer, November 2006
Long ago I concluded that marijuana is probably less damaging than alcohol. But since alcohol is legal, whenever it is time to relax a little, I have decided it is much easier to drink than get stoned. That said, I don't worry too much about people who smoke pot. I think the laws against marijuana are way behind the times.
I smoked marijuana several times when I was in college (40 years ago). Yes, I found smoking pot worked wonders for music, food, and you know what. But then I noticed how difficult it was to concentrate on my studies the day after. Realizing my problem was directly related to marijuana use the previous evening, I decided there was no way I was going to jeopardize my grades again. So that was the end of that. I chose the Margarita over the Marijuana.
I hate hard drugs and I dislike the violence associated with them. At the same time, I openly admit I got a huge kick out of the story you will soon be reading. I have no idea how to explain the hypocrisy inherent to my interest in this story. Even though I am a law-abiding citizen with a clean slate, I guess I have a dark side that was impressed by the guts and the ingenuity of the men who put together the pot farm.
PREFACE
Over twenty years ago I had an indirect experience with a sophisticated marijuana operation. One morning in 1985 I opened the morning paper to discover that one of my SSQQ dance students had been arrested. Goodness gracious, he had been busted for operating a pot farm! With morbid fascination, I read the details of how one of our fellow dancers had been taken into police custody for operating a marijuana farm up in the hill country outside of Austin.
The man’s name was Robert. Since Robert was a very popular guy at the studio, naturally we were all pretty shocked. Although he was considered a bit of a rogue, Robert was friendly and outgoing. No one had a clue what he had been up to in his spare time.
Using agriculture skills he gained at Texas A&M, Robert had devised a state-of-the-art greenhouse complete with grow lights and a sprinkler system that operated automatically. The pot farm basically ran itself. Robert only visited the place once a week until it was time to harvest the crop.
I don’t remember exactly how Robert got caught, but my feeble memory suggests someone who lived in the sparsely populated rural hills noticed how odd it was to have the lights on in the dark of the early AM. Curious, the neighbor walked over for a closer look. Once the person figured out what was going on, he alerted the authorities who decided to stake out the building until Robert showed up. Surprise, surprise.
Robert did NOT want to go to jail. Robert told us he was just the caretaker for someone else who put up the money (no, it wasn't me!) But Robert had been caught red-handed. Despite trying every legal maneuver he could think of, Robert ended up serving a couple years of jail time.
As for me, I live life on the straight and narrow. But that doesn't keep me from studying people like Robert with fascination. The last time I heard of Robert, he was running a business for men who wanted to marry Russian wives. From Russia With Love!! Same old Robert - always into risky business.
Some people just aren't cut out for the normal life. They would rather live life on the edge of danger. Our story now turns to another man - Fred Strunk - who risked everything for a secret marijuana cave.
THE GREAT TENNESSEE DRUG BUST
In December 2005, Fred Strunk, Brian Gibson, and Greg Compton were arrested for their part in constructing and operating a secret marijuana farm in a cave under their house.
Their pot farm was located on Dixon Springs Road in eastern Trousdale County, Tennessee. This area is about 40 miles northeast of Nashville.
Trousdale County is not exactly a well-known center for criminal activity. Located in the hills of rural northern Tennessee, Trousdale is the smallest county in the state.
This story seemed like an episode straight out of the Dukes of Hazzard - three super-smart rogues trying to outwit the hick country sheriff! However, this time it was the police who came away the winner.
What the police discovered was nothing short of amazing. Operating on reports of suspicious activity, they raided a beautiful A-frame home built in the middle of nowhere. From the outside, the pot house looked like a beautiful vacation home out in the woods, but investigators quickly realized the exterior served as a prop designed to conceal the amazing pot farm below. There was a lot more going on in that house than met the eye.
In an underground cavern located beneath the stylish A-frame home, the police found a sophisticated operation which grew as much as 100 pounds of marijuana every eight weeks. This secret high-tech underground cave seemed more likely to be part of a Hollywood drug movie too crazy to believe, except that in this case it was real.
Using two rooms, our clever crooks were able to generate 12 to 14 crops a year. Each crop had an estimated street value around $500,000 or more. Do the math. At this rate, 13 crops a year would bring in $6-8 Million.
That's a lot more than you or I make, yes? The difference is that you and I aren't going to jail. This incident became the biggest pot bust in Middle Tennessee history.
PICTURES OF THE POT FARM
Rick Archer's Note: As you read this story, please keep in mind I have absolutely no personal connection to this story.
I live in Houston, Texas. This happened in Tennessee. I have never met any of these people in my life.
One day in 2007 I received all the pictures posted here in an email that was being forwarded around the Internet. The email contained these fascinating pictures, but had no explanation attached. This is only a guess, but I think the email was created by one of the policemen who busted the pot farm.
I was so frustrated not to know the story!! Curious about the origin of the pictures, I researched the story on the Internet. Using Google, I came up with the answer. When I discovered the story behind the pictures, I combined the pictures from the email with the information I discovered, then added my own thoughts.
The house was built on top of a natural cave, but investigators say no one lived there. The house wasn’t even furnished. Hidden inside the house was a secret passageway into a cave.
A corridor led from the hidden doorway into the cave. The corridor had cinderblock walls, a concrete ceiling and floor.
The thick metal door to the secret passageway was held in place by a hydraulic motor. If someone didn't want you to enter, you would probably need a small bomb to get in.
Behind the hydraulic door, there was a 40 foot long sloping corridor that led downward to the cave.
The cave itself stretched 250 feet (nearly the length of a football field!) Inside the cave there were offices, living quarters, and a growing area. Our rogues spent no time at all in the house itself.
The office space came first, then a living area furnished with three or four colorful bunk beds for camping out in the cave, and a restroom with a shower and plenty of toiletries. Behind the restroom was a kitchen with a fully stocked pantry, air conditioning and microwave. All the comforts of home, only this cave was meant for business.
More than 1,000 marijuana plants were grown deep underground. There were two growing areas - one held starter plants and the other held maturing plants. Each room had its own irrigation system. The lights and climate control kept the air at the perfect temperature: 87 degrees.
One room housed 500 to 600 small marijuana plants. In the picture above, you can see the clever irrigation system laid on top of each 5 gallon bucket. A few well-timed drips a day worked wonders. Plants grew faster in this controlled environment than they would have grown naturally outside.
The second area had plants that were nearly ready to harvest. In this room you could see 500 to 600 plants as tall as six feet. Once the plants were harvested, their buckets were filled with new seedlings.
Just behind the growing area is the work space with all the equipment to keep the operation running.
Ironically, none of the three men who were charged with growing marijuana in that cave actually lived in Middle Tennessee. Nor did the investigators think the drugs were sold in Trousdale County. Apparently the growers thought that would be too dangerous so they took their crops elsewhere to sell. More likely they took it to nearby Nashville.
The operation was enormous. They would grow 100 pounds of pot every 8 weeks. The job of harvesting the marijuana was so big that they actually brought in outside labor!
To harvest the illegal crop, the men would hire a half-dozen Hispanic workers in Arizona and drive them all the way to Tennessee. For part of the journey the windows on the van would be covered so the workers did not know where they were. When they got close to home, they told the workers to put on blindfolds. They would drive the workers right into the cave, take off their masks, and let them out to begin working. (I wonder how on earth they talked these men into being blindfolded!)
And yes, the operation was quite profitable. The investigators said the men were growing enough marijuana to make $6 million to $8 million a year. Who would guess that farming could be so profitable!
THE SECRET ESCAPE ROUTE
In case the growers had to make a run for it, they built an escape route. It ran 150 yards from the cave to the surface.
First there was a hidden door in the ceiling of the pot growing area followed by a long ladder.
Just beneath the ground, there is another trap door. Here a hydraulic jack lifts the second trap door, which is hidden underneath a boulder. The escape hatch lets out 100 yards from the home. No one driving by would have any idea what lies beneath.
SO HOW DID THEY GET CAUGHT?
This place was a virtual modern fortress. In addition to the secret entrance and the secret escape hatch, there were surveillance cameras everywhere to warn the people inside of snoopers. With such a sophisticated and well-hidden operation, surely you wonder how did these villains ever got caught?
I wondered the same thing. In October 2006 my friend Gary Richardson sent me an email that contained all the pictures listed above. The pictures had captions included, but there was no story that accompanied the pictures. I wondered where the Pot Farm was located and what the story was. I asked Gary if he knew anything, but he replied he didn't know the story behind it.
I loved the pictures! But without the story, my imagination was going wild. What could possibly have tripped up such a terrific operation? Where did they make their mistake?
Unable to be satisfied with just the pictures, I decided to give the Internet and Google a try. I had one very big clue: the first picture said "a house in Tennessee." So I typed in "marijuana bust tennessee". Within seconds, I had the story. Isn't Google incredible?
Now I was able to learn how they got caught. I will give you the answer in a moment, but first see if you can guess. One of the possibilities below is correct.
Exorbitant cash expenditures made police suspicious.
A truck carrying marijuana got pulled over by State Police.
Electrical disruptions in the area made officials suspicious.
Husband cheated on wife and wife turned him in for revenge.
Argument about how to split the money turned one man into a rat.
Putting too much cash in one bank made a bank official suspicious.
A Mexican farm worker hired to help harvest the crop tipped the authorities.
A dealer got caught and pointed the finger up the chain to save his own neck.
A nearby neighbor was curious to learn why no one seemed to live in the house.
A huge infrared heat signature gave them away. The heat alone coming out from the ventilation system would appear on any thermal imaging device.
Are you ready for the answer? If you guessed #2 "Electrical Power Disruptions", then go to the head of the class. Yes, suspicious fluctuations in the area's electricity led to their downfall. Personally, I wouldn't have guessed this was the answer in a thousand years!
The men started stealing electricity from the local power lines to supply their fortress. They spliced into wires and caused power disruptions to the local area. Supervisors at the local power company were losing power somewhere and decided to look into it.
Back when Fred Strunk and company were building their invisible fort, the local electric company was asked to install a much larger transformer than usually required by a residence. But once the growing operation began, Fred and his gang found to their dismay they still did not have enough electrical power to operate the grow lamps required to raise 1,000 marijuana plants at a time.
They were afraid to ask the electric company to install more power since this would be a very suspicious request without a "reason" to explain the greater need.
Afraid to risk exposure by making a second request, this left them with two choices: reduce the size of their operation or steal the needed electricity. They chose the latter path. The men spliced into the Tri-County Electric line and began to steal electricity.
The huge thirst for electricity proved to be their downfall. The electricity company detected that a large amount of electricity was disappearing. Since there was no simple answer to account for the problem, the company had no choice but to track the problem down.
Investigators eventually discovered the illegal splices and alerted the police.
(RICK ARCHER'S NOTE ONE: I wish I could be more specific with the details about how they got caught. As I previously mentioned, I have absolutely no direct connection to this story at all. Everything I report is something I gained from research on the Internet. I am very curious myself to learn more details. I must have read through a dozen different stories on the Internet and what I have shared with you is all I could find out.
For a while, I wondered why the articles were so were vague when discussing how the police tracked Fred down. After all, the same stories gave a thorough description of Fred's punishment. After giving it some thought, I decided that the lack of information was deliberate. Most of the articles I read were from Tennessee newspapers.
Since the newspaper articles about Fred's Pot Bust were written from interviews with Law Enforcement, I suppose the police didn't want to be too candid about how they got onto to his trail and take the chance that other potential bad guys might learn from Fred's mistake.)
(RICK ARCHER'S NOTE TWO: In April 2008, I received an email that answers some of the questions I raised above. I cannot vouch for the authenticity of the email, but my gut feeling is that this account is correct. I appreciate the help!)
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE DOWNFALL OF THE POT FARM
-----Original Message-----
From: Mike
Sent: Thursday, April 17, 2008 9:13 AM
To: dance@ssqq.com
Subject: Pot farm information
"I received your page in an email and have more information for you.
My brothers and I hunt just outside of Hartsville, TN (near Trousdale) and one of my brothers lives there. The following story comes from my brother who knows many people up there.
He told me that an electric company official went to the property to investigate the power spike. He went to the front gate. Yes, the geniuses had an "estate" gate that you would imagine would be at the front of a mansion. The official could not raise anyone from the elaborate intercom system and hopped the side fence. He went to the house; found that there was nothing inside. The idiots didn't even put up heavy curtains or such to hide the vacant nature of the home. When the official was looking in the window someone came out of the woods with a shotgun and told him to get off of the property. Now, they may not be the most intelligent people in the world, but if you are doing something illegal, wouldn't you try to make the official leave without pissing him off? Well, you guessed it; the official went to the police and reported the suspicious incident.
My brothers and I have talked about this for a few years, and, being the stereotypical 'Monday morning quarterbacks", would have set up some other LEGAL operation going to account for the power spike. Our other explanations: small factory, brewery, computer server bank that could be turned off and on…
Also, a few more points: They found a dead neighbor a few months before the bust. It is thought that one of the escape hatches came out onto his property and the victim encountered one of the pot farmers. A few days after that they found two dead immigrants on outlying properties. It is thought that the pot farmers were tying up loose ends.
I hope this gives you more information. This story was better than most cop movies."
A RESPONSE TO THE LETTER ABOVE
From:
Sent: Wednesday, March 18, 2009 10:26 PM
To: dance@ssqq.com
Subject: pot farm
I was doing some web surfing and came across your page on the Tennessee pot farm. I grew up here in Nashville. All I have to say is Tennessee is the second largest producer of Marijuana in the country, next to California. It is very much a part of Appalachian culture and is used by just about everyone. Everything comes through Nashville. So much is produced and trafficked through here. And everyone knows everyone. It's a given here, you never say names and you never talk about who you know, because everyone knows everyone.
I mean there is a serious underground marijuana movement in Tennessee. The old farmers have taught the kids everything they know. Now all the kids are grown up and pulling the weight themselves. Anyways, in answer to your question, how did Freddie get caught? It was a snitch. He didn't want to pay what the wizard was asking, got pissed, and snitched. It was that simple. His whole operation went down because of some jerk. People out here are pros. It's never "carelessness" that gets them busted. It's always some greedy kid new to the game, thinks he can push his own prices. The snitch told the electric company, who then investigated.
I don't know what happened to the informant, but I'm sure he was probably a low life that got busted on some other charge. As for the dead immigrants in that other letter, I think that was bull. These guys were professional gardeners, not murderers, I mean its weed, not crack.
Anyways, you're probably already scratching your head wondering why someone is replying to something you posted in 2007.
DOES CRIME PAY?
The ancient axiom says "Crime doesn't pay". The Tennessee Pot Farm case gives an ironic slant to this saying.
If the men had simply "paid" for their electricity, no one would ever have said a thing. But they had a problem. Once they realized they didn't have enough current to run their operation to capacity, they had three choices:
They could run their operation at half-capacity and settle for a slower return on their enormous investment.
They could ask the electric company to give them more juice and risk revealing their setup.
They could steal the extra power and hope no one would notice.
You already know what their decision was. And their gamble paid off for a while. Mastermind Fred Strunk lived the good life with an expensive home in Florida plus a huge yacht.
But now Fred Strunk, 63, is not only facing 18 years of prison, he lost every cent he put into his operation. His house and all his holdings were confiscated by the government. The pot house is now up for sale! In addition, he is expected to reimburse Tri-City Electricity $61,000 for the energy he stole.
$61,000. That's quite a light bill.
INSIDE THE CRIMINAL MIND
Did you enjoy the pictures of the high-tech operation? Take a quick guess who published the pictures. No, it wasn't me. The pictures were published by the authorities who busted Fred and Friends. Like trophy hunters, the crime fighters wanted the world to see the evidence of their good police work.
Obviously the police were proud of themselves and rightly so. I can't imagine that Fred is your every-day run of the mill criminal. In the game of "Cops and Robbers", it had to be a thrill to catch a smart guy like Fred.
Truth be told, back when Fred was building his underground fortress, I would have put money that Fred would get away with it. Given what little I know about catching bad guys, I cannot imagine how an operation this well planned would ever be caught!
Therefore I suppose another reason to publicize this remarkable drug bust was to discourage other would-be pot farmers from trying as well.
One reason to publish the story is to make a point to all the bad guys out there. If someone as smart as Fred can be caught, what chance does anyone else have? Better not try it!
SO WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME?
As I put together this article, I realized that I admired Fred for his enormous gamble. In the process, I began to wonder why a law-abiding citizen like myself was on the side of the bad guys instead of the good guys. After all, these guys weren't exactly Robin Hood. They were drug dealers. I examined my feelings. Why was I vaguely sympathetic?
Embarrassing as it is, I have to admit sometimes I root for the bad guy.... depending on the crime of course. Growing up, my favorite TV show was the Fugitive! For that matter, Oceans 11, The Score, Topkapi, The Italian Job, After the Sunset, and the Cary Grant classic To Catch a Thief are just a few examples of movies that come to mind about smart thieves who risk it all to pull off dangerous capers.
We go to see movies like these because they are fun. I don't know about you, but as long as no one gets hurt, I usually root for the bad guys to get away with it. Nor do I think I am alone. Movies like these usually do good box office. If the thief is clever and there is no victim crying with grief, it is fun to root for the bad guy. On the other hand, if the bad guy is some crook like Bernie Madoff, I say lock him up for life. Obviously I am very conflicted.
In the movies, the bad guys often win. But that's the movies. In real life, Fred put it all on the line and lost everything. Fred lost his dream, his freedom, and millions of dollars. He is sentenced to be in prison till he is 81. This means Fred will likely be in his 70s before he gets parole. By the time he gets out I would imagine Fred will be a bit too old to give it another shot . And truth be told, I am sorry he got caught.
Hard drugs are one thing, but I guess memories from my hippie days remind me that marijuana isn't that dangerous. Furthermore, as crimes go, from what I read about Fred's escapade, there weren't any suffering victims.
But then on the other hand, if Fred hadn't gotten caught, we wouldn't have had his fascinating story to tickle our fantasies, now would we?
And of course you have to wonder if someone like Fred is smart enough to come up with an operation this clever, why didn't he consider trying to use his talents in a legal activity?
Don't cheaters win some of the time? If it isn't Fred, then it is my old friend Robert trying to cash in on a strange scam like Russian wives.
The temptation to take a short cut is out there for all of us.
I suppose that is why the police decided to send pictures of Fred's demise flying around the Internet. Fred is living proof that crime doesn't pay. Tales like the capture of Fred the Marijuana Man keeps ordinary people like me from harboring even the slightest fantasy that pulling off a daring crime might actually succeed.
December 2006: Dixon Springs “Drug Cave” house burns
Macon Country Times
Jerry Greenway
State and local authorities are investigating a Tuesday night, December 5 fire that destroyed a $1 million gated A-frame house in the Cato community of Trousdale County. Arson was strongly suspected in the 11 p.m. blaze, which brought firefighters from both Hartsville and Riddleton to the scene, and to the scene of a second fire which broke out at the same time and in the same general area, less than a mile from the Macon-Trousdale county line.
The resort-like home, located at 2125 Dixon Creek Road, hid an entrance to a sophisticated underground marijuana growing operation whose owner was arrested in December 2005. Authorities said a second home, located just a half mile away, also burned at about the same time Tuesday, pointing even more strongly to arson as the probable cause.
Metro Hartsville Sheriff's chief deputy Waylon Cothron said the state Fire Marshall and several other law enforcement agencies were investigating the cause of the fires.
The second fire, also called in at about 11 p.m., destroyed a vacant home undergoing renovation on the Scanty Branch Road. Formerly the residence of the late Edison Cornwell, the house which burned belonged to Raydean Gregory, according to Jerry Richmond of Hartsville radio station WTNK. “They'd been working on the house, thinking about putting in new windows, stuff like that,” said Richmond. “The shame of it is there was an old abandoned house that needed to be burned right next to the good house that was destroyed.”
“Obviously it was determined to be acts of arson because we had two unoccupied houses within a half mile of each other that burned at the same time,” Chief Cothron said.
The lavish, gated home, which had been confiscated by the state, had been used by Fred Strunk, 63, of Florida and two other men, Brian Gibson and Greg Compton to hide a large “pot cave” equipped with artificial lighting and irrigation system. The elaborate operation included an office and bunk room which could sleep eight, and escape hatches that could have been used to elude law enforcement.
The drug operation was one of the largest found in Tennessee, with capacity to grow as many as 800 marijuana plants and was alleged to have produced millions of dollars in illegal proceeds. Strunk pleaded guilty in Wilson County Criminal Court last summer to charges of manufacture of marijuana, money laundering and theft. Strunk had been lodged in the Macon County Jail for the period of time before his trial.
The other two men arrested with Strunk are also now serving time in connection with the crimes. The property in Trousdale County, along with boats, a van and other property in Florida, were also seized by the state and confiscated when Strunk was arrested.
“We deal with arson in this business on a regular basis,” said Assistant District Attorney David Durham, “Sometimes there is no motive or could simply be an act of vandalism. It could be a conspiracy. It could be a number of different things,” Durham said.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Tiny town is Oregon's No. 1 hub for pot growers
August 3, 2011
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/08/03/national/main20087493.shtml
(AP) WILLIAMS, Ore. - Medical marijuana has taken root in this idyllic town like nowhere else in Oregon.
Nearly 20 percent of the population is registered to grow pot legally, and an untold number deals it illegally, creating stark contrasts in a bucolic burg where children still ring the bell to start the school day and pancake breakfasts draw a crowd at the local community center.
The Associated Press analyzed the locations of registered pot growers in Oregon based on their ZIP codes and found that Williams by far has the heaviest concentration. More than 400 of the town's 2000 residents are authorized by the state to grow up to six plants each.
The proliferation of pot became the talk of the town last summer when new Google Earth satellite images showed little green circles in neat rows all over the valley.
"My daughter showed me on her iPhone," said Neil Sinnott, owner of a local cafe. "She said, `Dad, look what your neighbors are doing.'"
Six-foot-tall fences that screen marijuana gardens from public view have become so common that a local pastor uses them as landmarks for giving directions. One resident is trying to capitalize on the growing popularity of medical marijuana by starting a testing lab. A variety of marijuana grown here, called Williams Wonder, is cherished among pot connoisseurs.
Though big-city Portland has cafes where medical marijuana users smoke pot while singing karaoke, it is the rural communities of southwestern Oregon like Williams that have the highest percentages of folks smoking it, growing it and caring for others who use the drug.
Neighboring towns in Josephine County have high rates of pot growers similar to the 19.5 percent in Williams: O'Brien was at 15.2 percent; Selma at 10.5 percent; and Cave Junction at 9.9 percent, according to the AP analysis.
One ZIP code covering mostly rural residences shows 60 out of 80 residents with permits. The Oregon Health Authority will not provide any identifying information of pot growers and patients beyond their ZIP codes for patient confidentiality reasons. It will not provide information on ZIP codes with fewer than 50 cardholders, also for confidentiality reasons.
Medical marijuana has been growing in popularity statewide since becoming legal in 1999. The number of residents registered as patients, caregivers and growers this year hit 120,945, nearly four times the number five years ago. Few who ask to register are turned down. Only 950 applications — less than 1 percent — were terminated, denied or suspended.
The number of people authorized to grow for others has also mushroomed, from 12,274 in 2006 to 26,734 in 2010. In Williams, the number jumped from 122 to 301 in the same period.
Why has pot become so big in Williams? The reasons seem to be a combination of an ideal climate, remote and rural location and a willingness to live and let live.
Southwestern Oregon sits at the northern tip of the Emerald Triangle, one of the nation's best marijuana growing regions, which stretches into Northern California. Pot has been grown here since California hippies started moving in during the 1970s. When Oregon's medical marijuana law took effect in 1999, "a lot of those guys got their cards and came out of the woods and started doing it legally," said Keith Mansur, editor of the Oregon Cannabis Connection, a newspaper devoted to marijuana issues based in nearby Medford.
Laird Funk is a longtime activist who lost his job running the sewage treatment plant in nearby Grants Pass several years ago after testing positive for marijuana. Funk, now the chairman of the state medical marijuana advisory committee, says the weather is conducive to growing pot, but securing the crop can become complicated.
"It's not hard to do out here in the sunshine," he said. "Everybody does some variation of security. Some people use chain link. Some solid wood. Some people dress up like Vietnam and walk around with guns. But you could kill people like that, so I don't."
Williams took its name from an Indian fighter during the Gold Rush of the 1850s. After the gold played out, logging and dairy farms also waned. Now the valley is a mix of organic farmers, people cobbling together a living from odd jobs, mushroom picking, and California retirees and commuters.
Williams Community Church Pastor Rob Culton said he can feel community tensions rise at harvest time in the fall, when the threat increases of someone stealing a crop. But he does not condemn anyone. His wife took doctor-prescribed pills with a cannabis extract while having chemotherapy for cancer in the 1980s.
"I wouldn't want that to be something where a person would say, `I can't go to that church because I have a medical marijuana permit,"' he said.
A few long-time residents like Ben Watts remember when as many as four sawmills were running in Williams before they all shut down in the 1980s. A logger all his life, at 83 he still cuts firewood from the gold claim his grandfather worked. He is no fan of police, he says, but he would like for them to crack down on growers, particularly those selling pot illegally.
In 2009, a Williams couple growing for 11 patients was busted for having 220 pounds, far in excess of the 16.5 pounds allowed by law. Police said they learned of the site from a man stopped on Interstate 5, who said he was taking $9,100 there to buy marijuana. Because it was a first offense, the couple served just a month in jail after pleading no contest to delivery of drugs.
Just how much marijuana is being sold illegally by medical marijuana growers in Willliams, or anywhere in Oregon, is impossible to say. Police keep no statistics.
Mansur said marijuana growing is adding "big time" to the local economy through sales of potting soil, fertilizer, special pots that won't constrict the roots — even vacuum sealing machines to package the dried buds.
The prevalence of medical marijuana led Richard Reams, who teaches the art of growing trees into living sculptures, to open OregonGreen Lab. For $120 he will test a gram of marijuana and tell you the potency and active ingredients. One large grower has already signed up.
"I believe that in a short amount of time we will have legalized marijuana," Reams said. "The economic opportunities in that field could be large."
John Rickert worked for a health insurance company in San Diego before retiring to Williams. He regularly writes grants to fund programs for the elementary school.
Rickert said many people are just getting by economically, with most kids qualifying for free school lunches, but he sees a lot of people paying cash for dinners out and vacations when a credit card would be more convenient.
Still, Rickert said he's not bothered about the shift in the local economy from timber to pot.
"Everybody wants to cut the trees" to increase revenues for the county and schools, he said. "Forget cutting the trees. Let's legalize marijuana."
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