MOUNT VERNON — According to Knox County Sheriff David Barber, indoor marijuana growing operations are on the rise, not just in Knox County, but across the nation.
The Knox County Sheriff’s Office has shut down five indoor grows since April, the largest of which contained 926 plants. According to Barber, each mature plant yields enough marijuana to bring dealers about $1,000 on the street, making these operations big business and major criminal operations.
Barber said one of the reasons indoor grows have increased in popularity is the decreased availability of the chemicals needed to manufacture methamphetamine.
“[Marijuana cultivation] is on the rise everywhere in Ohio,” Barber said. “They attribute a lot of it to the decline in clandestine meth labs. The limits on the purchase of pseudoephedrine in Ohio are starting to have an effect.”
Pseudoephedrine is an over-the-counter decongestant used in the manufacture of methamphetamine.
The penalties for growing marijuana, compared to the penalties for manufacturing meth, are relatively light. Although conviction for illegal assembly or possession of chemicals for the manufacture of methamphetamine carries a mandatory prison term of at least two years, the penalties for cultivating marijuana carry possible penalties that range from a $100 fine, to a possible prison term that ranges from 30 days to eight years.
Knox County Prosecutor John Thatcher explained the difference in penalties.
“Manufacturing methamphetamine involves using chemicals that are extremely dangerous,” he said. “Many times the conduct involved with collecting the ingredients is criminal itself, such as theft of anhydrous ammonia; the process generates an amount of toxic chemical waste that is disproportionate to the amount of the drug that is actually produced.”
Thatcher also pointed out that when a meth manufacturing operation is shut down by law enforcement, the toxic chemical waste poses a hazard to the officers, and many times the hazardous waste must be cleaned up at government expense.
“And methamphetamine is a highly addictive drug,” he added. “Therefore, to the extent that these two drugs [methamphetamine and marijuana], the conduct involved in producing them and what happens when the operations are shut down by law enforcement can be compared, I think the penalties for manufacturing and illegal cultivation of marijuana are consistent.”
Barber said he would like to see the penalties for marijuana cultivation stiffened.
“Marijuana laws are not that strict in Ohio,” he said. “They’re taking the risk of the chances of getting caught versus the profits they can make. The laws absolutely need to be tougher, particularly for the people we are shutting down because that is a criminal enterprise.
“If you’re going to send the message but the profit outweighs the jail time, how are you going to deter people?” Barber asked.
The sheriff said asset seizure is an effective tool his office uses to fight drug cultivation, because those growing the marijuana are motivated by profit.
“It’s all about making money,” he said. “These are not people growing a few plants for their own use, these are major criminal operations.”
The indoor marijuana grows of today utilize the latest in technology, including sophisticated timer systems, powerful halogen lights, reflective walls and ceilings to increase room temperature, and soil-less hydroponics systems. One of the larger operations shut down this year by the KCSO was a hydroponics operation. Barber said growers are turning to this system to increase yield and the quality of the product.
Barber said that when his officers shut down large grows, they usually find firearms as well.
“When you’re talking a million dollars, you are going to protect your product,” he said, referring to the large-scale operations that are becoming more frequent in the county.
Barber said the investigation and shutdown of these operations are costly, intensive and time consuming, but the time and money are well spent in the effort to keep more drugs of the street, and also to fight the criminal behavior that he said always surrounds illegal drug production and trafficking.
“Sgt. Gary Rohler and Detective Roger Brown have been doing a great job with these investigations,” Barber said, adding that his office’s cooperation with other law enforcement agencies has been another key to finding and shutting down major indoor grows.
“We work with BCI agents, the MVPD, the Central Ohio Drug Enforcement Task Force, and we work with the METRICH Enforcement Unit, a 10-county task force based out of Mansfield,” he said.
Barber said the public also plays an important role in shutting down the operations.
“We get many of our tips from the public,” he said. “You can call us at (800) TIP-US-Off.”
