Quite a bit of national news attention lately has been devoted to the so-called “opiate epidemic” that is plaguing our nation, as thousands of Americans turn to heroin and prescription medications in their addictions. However, our readers should remember that even though law enforcement efforts may have turned to focus more carefully on heroin and other “hard” drugs, they will still enforce the drug laws regarding marijuana.
For example, our readers may have seen a recent report from Hillsborough County about a drug bust that led to the arrest of a whole family who were allegedly involved in a marijuana growing operation. According to the reports, on Aug. 1, law enforcement officers searched four different residences. They allegedly discovered that three of the four homes were almost exclusively devoted to marijuana growing operations, while the fourth was reportedly involved in the growing operation as well. A 66-year-old man and his 60-year-old wife were arrested as a result of these searches, as was their 41-year-old son.
In all, law enforcement officials reported that they recovered 370 marijuana plants in the searches. The plants weighed over 530 pounds and reportedly had a “street value” of over $1 million.
The family that was allegedly involved in this marijuana growing operation will likely face some pretty severe drug charges. Depending on their criminal records and several other factors, each of the suspects could be facing years in prison if they are convicted. Now is the time that they will begin to craft their criminal defense strategies. For anyone in Florida accused of drug crimes, consulting with a criminal defense attorney may be a wise step to take.
Source: Tampa Bay Times, “Hillsborough deputies bust family marijuana ring worth $1 million,” Aug. 3, 2017