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Fair ~ River stage: 33.29 Rising Friday, November 20, 2009 |
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Highway patrol reports good year for marijuana crop in Southeast MissouriWednesday, September 30, 2009POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Members of the Missouri State Highway Patrol's local marijuana eradication team have seized about 7,000 suspected marijuana plants this summer, including nearly 40 found growing on a Dunklin County ditch bank. The 38 suspected marijuana plants were found during an "eradication flight" growing on a ditch bank, about a mile off the St. Francis River in the Campbell area, said trooper B.R. Arnold. Officers, he said, set up cameras and taped a man, identified as Ronald J. Baggett, on several occasions tending to the plants. Arnold described the plants as being "good plants, really good. ... They liked probably another 15 to 20 days of having been ready to complete the harvest." Arnold said officers closed the investigation Friday. "We already knew who he was," Arnold said. It was a matter of "how much more evidence we wanted to compile. Because the eradication season is ending for us, we had to go ahead and wrap it up." Baggett was contacted at his Qulin residence and was found to be in possession of about one pound of suspected processed marijuana, Arnold said. Baggett was arrested at 10:13 a.m. Friday on suspicion of possession of a controlled substance (marijuana) in Butler County and cultivation of marijuana in Dunklin County. He was booked at the Butler County jail and later released pending review of the case by the prosecuting attorney. According to Arnold, this has been a really good year. The wet weather has really helped out and alleged growers have not had to water their plants as much, he said. "We've had a very successful season," Arnold said. "We've seized a little less than 7,000 plants [with] more to go get in the next couple of days." The plants, Arnold said, have been seized by eradication team members all over Troop E. "I've made cases in counties where I've never made cases before," Arnold said. "We ended up with 18 felony charges and the arrest of 10 different people with hopes of a couple more." In previous years, Arnold said, he usually spends November flying every day. Since the eradication season has been cut short, "I didn't get to cover everything I wanted to," said Arnold, who encouraged anyone with tips or information about suspected marijuana to call 1-800-BAD-WEED. Comments  Note: The nature of the Internet makes it impractical for our staff to review every comment. If you feel that a comment is offensive, please Login or Create an account first, and then you will be able to flag a comment as objectionable. Please also note that those who post comments on semissourian.com may do so using a screen name, which may or may not reflect a website user's actual name. Readers should be careful not to assign comments to real people who may have names similar to screen names. Refrain from obscenity in your comments, and to keep discussions civil, don't say anything in a way your grandmother would be ashamed to read.
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Yet, in California Mr Baggett would have just got a ticket, if that.
Legalization anyone?
The only thing needed here is to eradicate the Members of the Missouri State Highway Patrol's local marijuana eradication team. They are wasting
time and tax payers money! Marijuana should be a legal substance to anyone over 18 PERIOD! End Prohibition NOW! It does not work and never will!
The drug war is a joke and costing us billions!
Does anyone think that perhaps the poor economy and jobless rates have an affect on the number of people trying to grow marijuana?
Since they are so good at locating marajuana farms and putting dangerous pot-heads in jail, maybe they can work for Homeland Security to locate BinLaden
Legalize it, collect sales tax on it, save "law enforcement" money. Looks like a win-win situation to me...
Now that's the Greywolf I know!!!! How about we eradicate Marijuana Smokers, Growers, and all dope users???? That's an even better idea!!! Oh and least I forget, the child molestors, right Greywolf???
Of course we'll want to eradicate all alcohol users too. Right Bond?
Bond, I guess you were born yesterday Huh!?
Lets see. You said. "How about we eradicate Marijuana Smokers, Growers, and all dope users"????Seems as if that's been tried time and time again the last 500 years. If you have a good argument as to how prohibition has worked lets here
it BOND! Otherwise you have no credibility concerning this issue. Gee that's nothing new.
Great name there...Baggett...love it. And B.R. is correct, the wet weather has been beneficial to plants.
Does no one else find that headline as hilarious as I do? 'Highway Patrol reports good year for marijuana crop', just like you would say 'Local farmers report good year for soy bean crop'. It cracked me up.
"Arnold described the plants as being "good plants, really good. ..."
It sounds like he smoked a little.
I think it is the economy also.
yeah lets keep beating a dead horse.police continue to use this ruse as an excuse to ask for more money,so they can buy more toys and act like they're really making a difference.Its their chance to dress up like real army guys without having to make the sacrifices service people do!get a job...
Well GreyWolf, child molestors have been around ALOT Longer than 500yrs, and you're ready to shoot them on sight . . . guess we should make that legal too huh???? Nice arguement!! Oh and your the judge of credibility??? Your's must come from all your marijuana experience, which explains alot, ANTI POLICEMAN!!!
Bond 007...Your argument doesn't really hold water either. Why are you equating child molesters and pot heads? I don't get it. Is this a joke?
Put pot on wall street, sell shares...!! Start them lets say a 1.00 a share!! In 5 yrs. you would be a millionair..! Our justice system is the biggest joke ever, so are the lawmakers,judges,lawyers,cops etc,etc,etc,etc,
With the exception of one poster, the opinions listed herein are unanimous.
Bond 007,
You're comparing child molesters and people who like the utilize cannabis recreationally. If that isn't a textbook example of comparing apples and oranges, I don't know what is. I don't feel that any more commentary is worth my time here.
Consider this post another vote for the legalization of cannabis for responsible adults.
Bond your absolutely hilarious.
lets examine what you said. " Well GreyWolf, child molestors have been around ALOT Longer than 500yrs, and you're ready to shoot them on sight . . . guess we should make that legal too huh??
You are referring to a recent post of mine concerning a "child molestor". I never mentioned
shooting anyone! I think I recall saying something
about the St.Louis Zoo needing fresh meat! I believe
it obvious my post was a bit more comical than serious. I do not support administering justice by
allowing "shoot on site" principals.
You also referred to me as "anti-policeman".
You need to look back at my post concerning the police. I have stated that I strongly believe the police have too much power. I also have stated that I disagree with the use of tasers. I have never said I am anti-police. To do so would be to disown my nephew who is a police officer and my Brother who once was. They understand my debate and do not resort to name calling or ridicule.
The fact is Bond you are an angry person or police officer who does not comprehend well.
Before you call me anti-police and a Pot head, it might be a good idea to come up with some argument that makes sense rather than call people names.
Sorry Bond but that does negatively affect your credibility. I support decriminalization of marijuana. Prohibiting it is ignorant and the way we are handling the drug issue is even worse.
The police would have MUCH more time serving the people as well as protecting them if they were not chasing pot smokers. That is a difficult argument to debate. Has revenue collecting become more important than solving victim crimes? Lets debate but leave the other junk at the door.
how can something that occurs in nature be against the law. man didn't make it. If God made the earth then God made it.
money not well spent. don't you see? we are a new society. give it up highway patrol and try patroling the highways. safety first. it is times like these i am not proud to be a missourian.
huffhuff,
God also made Hemlock, so that is flawed logic even if one believes in God.
I think we stray too far off the path when we consider anything other than whether or not marijuana use is a detriment to society/people and if so does it rise to the level to where making/keeping it illegal mitigates those effects without creating a more detrimental situation.
To me taxation/regulation as well as use of resources and all of that should only be considered as ancillary issues and not relevant to the core issue.
My opinion on whether marijuana should be decriminalized/legalized is of no real consequence.
Present enforcement policies are costing American taxpayers tens of billions of dollars, ruining the lives of hundreds of thousands of Americans.
Drug use is "costing American taxpayers tens of billions of dollars, ruining the lives of hundreds of thousands of Americans."
Drug use is "costing American taxpayers tens of billions of dollars, ruining the lives of hundreds of thousands of Americans."
-- Posted by NoNameYet on Wed, Sep 30, 2009, at 10:28 AM
Do you have a source?
Here's an interesting one that I like to throw out there from time to time:
Tobacco kills 435,000 Americans a year, alcohol kills 85,000 Americans a year, and cannabis doesn't kill anyone.
http://www.drugwarfacts.org/cms/node/30
Lurker,
My post was not directed at marijuana and was just a takeoff on Rocket Surgeon's, no disrespect to him, but if you lump marijuana in with me th, cocaine heroin and other drugs it seems to "muddy the waters" so to speak.
In studying drug use/control for about forty years, I have found you can come up with a "study" to support just about any position, not to discredit the one you posted; didn't read it as I no longer get paid to and no longer have a real interest in such things.
In my profession, I knew of many deaths caused by the use of drugs. Throwing alcohol in there really doesn't mean anything to me as I don't drink and most of the training I had did not differentiate as alcohol is also considered a drug, just not an illegal one.
Like I said previously, my opinion is inconsequential and have not put it forth.
NoNameYet,
I included the blurb about alcohol and tobacco considering that a lot of people don't know that while alcohol and tobacco can kill, cannabis use has yet to accumulate a [proven] death. The point is that if you choose to drink, you can; while cannabis--a substance that is arguably substantially less dangerous than alcohol--remains prohibited.
No need to read the link, I was just citing the source from where I got the data.
Out of curiosity and I'm not trying to be offensive, what are you doing here if you don't have an opinion? Seems like wasted time to me...
lurker,
Good question; didn't say I didn't have an opinion, just that it was irrelevant to what I was posting.
As to what I am/was doing, just passing time and putting forth a few observations; didn't know I had to have a "good reason" to post or justify doing so.
That's too bad Greywolf, I'm sure they're real proud of you.
Ya'll want to be free to do what you want, but then you want to be a Slave to Pot, Cigs and Alchol. It makes no sense. Ya'll can do anything you want to, as long as you don't get caught. :)
Indeed they are Bond!!
I guess its impossible for you to debate the issue. Come back when you have something important to add.