Oregon threatens to send National guard to stop black market grows

chex1111

Well-Known Member
Mon., October 18, 2021, 8:35 p.m.·5 min read



SALEM, Ore. (AP) — On the same day last week that a southern Oregon county declared a state of emergency amid a sharp increase in illegal cannabis farms, police raided a site that had about 2 tons of processed marijuana and 17,500 pot plants.
The raid illustrates that the proliferation of industrial-scale marijuana farms has gotten so bad and so brazen that Jackson County Commissioners asked Gov. Kate Brown to send in the Oregon National Guard “to assist, as able, in the enforcement of laws related to the production of cannabis.” They also directly appealed to Oregon Senate President Peter Courtney and House Speaker Tina Kotek for help getting additional funding to tackle the problem.
During last Wednesday's raid in Medford, near the California border, police found a vast outdoor growing operation, plus harvested plants hanging upside down on drying racks and 3,900 pounds (1,800 kilograms) of resinous buds stashed in huge bags and in stacks of plastic storage containers.
The officers took 26 migrant workers into custody, interviewed them and then released them. An arrest warrant was issued for the primary suspect, the Jackson County Sheriff's Office said.
Courtney said he is so concerned about the surge in illegal marijuana farms in Jackson and neighboring Josephine counties that he agrees the Oregon National Guard should be sent in. Many of the illegal growers are armed.
“You can’t solve it just at the local level, and you cannot solve it, I’m afraid, just at the usual state level and have some more state troopers down there,” the Democrat said. “The National Guard, they’re going to have to get deployed down there some way or other.”
Brown, also a Democrat, is holding off on a deployment for now but could reconsider next year, her office said.
The Josephine County commissioners wrote to Courtney in August to describe how migrant workers are being exploited and subjected to “appalling conditions,” while living in tents with no toilets, no running water or bathing facilities, unrefrigerated food and unsanitary cooking facilities.
Jackson and Josephine counties are considered the northern extension of the Emerald Triangle, a fabled marijuana-growing epicenter, of which California’s Humboldt, Mendocino and Trinity counties form the major part.
The increasing calls for National Guard intervention recalls the drug wars of the 1990s, when the citizen-soldiers were used, including in Missouri and California.
In California's Humboldt County back then, some 200 Army soldiers, National Guardsmen and federal agents raided clandestine pot farms in rugged terrain. Residents responded with protests.
Both Oregon and California in recent years legalized the cultivation, processing and sale of marijuana, so long as those involved enter the regulated systems in each state and abide by the rules. While many have done so, with Oregon in particular reaping a bonanza in marijuana taxes, some growers have resisted.
California has also been hit by industrial-scale illegal marijuana growing operations, with eradication left to local authorities, and in federal territory, to federal officers.
In southern Oregon, the problem has gotten worse recently, law enforcement officials say.
Perhaps recognizing that local law enforcement is stretched thin, foreign cartels began setting up hundreds of unlicensed marijuana growing operations last spring, authorities say.
Josephine County Sheriff Dave Daniel said he believes the cartel masterminds expect to lose a few growing operations, but the sheer number of them means many will remain untouched until the marijuana is sold on the black market outside Oregon.
 
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xtsho

Well-Known Member
I say send them in with a scorched earth policy. These illegal grows are blight that needs to be eliminated. Most of these are ran by foreign criminal enterprises. They abuse their workers, they destroy the environment, they grow, package, and ship the harvest out of the state to be sold on the black market. There is no benefit to the State of Oregon. They pay no taxes and use our resources for profit. Screw them.

I support sending in the National Guard 100%.
 

The Hippy

Well-Known Member
I say send them in with a scorched earth policy. These illegal grows are blight that needs to be eliminated. Most of these are ran by foreign criminal enterprises. They abuse their workers, they destroy the environment, they grow, package, and ship the harvest out of the state to be sold on the black market. There is no benefit to the State of Oregon. They pay no taxes and use our resources for profit. Screw them.

I support sending in the National Guard 100%.
On your knee's boy....good dog
 

xtsho

Well-Known Member
On your knee's boy....good dog
What the hell are you talking about?

Knee's? Good boy? How about someone that cares for the state they live in and don't want Mexican drug cartels using my state to grow cannabis for their own profit while destroying the environment.

If you knew anything about the issue which you obviously don't, you wouldn't make such a stupid reply to my comment. The people running these operations are not Buford and Jim Bob farmers that fell on hard times and are just trying to feed their families. Most of these operations are run by the same people flooding our streets with heroin and fentanyl.

They abuse their workers and more than likely will pack up their harvest and just leave leaving the workers to fend for themselves and often not even paying them. They destroy the environment by taking water from creeks and streams leaving little water for the fish and other aquatic wildlife. We're in a damn drought there's hardly any water to begin with and they don't have water rights to the water. They're stealing it. They leave behind all the waste and move on. Leaving the property owners they leased the land from to deal with the mess.

You know nothing regarding this issue so maybe you should just keep your snide comments to yourself.
 

Dank Bongula

Well-Known Member
They are just here trying to feed their families, let them do what they want. Nobody is illegal on stolen land. Mexican cartels lol sounds like someone is afraid of the "Diversity Boogeyman" lol fuck those missed out taxes, there's more to life than taxing and jailing people for growing a plant. There's enough weed to go around, bro. You only against foreigners growing illegally? Not Buford and Jim bob though, their illegal grows are noble but those damn foreigners lol they shouldn't be allowed? Sounds weird to me that you only get upset about illegal foreign criminal enterprises when they happen close to your home. I wonder how all those poor migrants even got to your state in the first place? Immigration for all!
 

xtsho

Well-Known Member
They are just here trying to feed their families, let them do what they want. Nobody is illegal on stolen land. Mexican cartels lol sounds like someone is afraid of the "Diversity Boogeyman" lol fuck those missed out taxes, there's more to life than taxing and jailing people for growing a plant. There's enough weed to go around, bro. You only against foreigners growing illegally? Not Buford and Jim bob though, their illegal grows are noble but those damn foreigners lol they shouldn't be allowed? Sounds weird to me that you only get upset about illegal foreign criminal enterprises when they happen close to your home. I wonder how all those poor migrants even got to your state in the first place? Immigration for all!

You too?

Good grief. Some people are clueless.
 

C. Nesbitt

Well-Known Member
They are just here trying to feed their families, let them do what they want. Nobody is illegal on stolen land. Mexican cartels lol sounds like someone is afraid of the "Diversity Boogeyman" lol fuck those missed out taxes, there's more to life than taxing and jailing people for growing a plant. There's enough weed to go around, bro. You only against foreigners growing illegally? Not Buford and Jim bob though, their illegal grows are noble but those damn foreigners lol they shouldn't be allowed? Sounds weird to me that you only get upset about illegal foreign criminal enterprises when they happen close to your home. I wonder how all those poor migrants even got to your state in the first place? Immigration for all!
I like a lot of your posts but think this one is a little over the top. @xtsho lives in the state and is citing a problem with organized criminal enterprises doing large scale illegal grows. The foreign element is not really the issue, it’s the total lack of stewardship for the environment (overuse of fertilizer and pesticides, ripping off water etc). They are producing black market weed that most of us here would be horrified to consume in today’s day and age.
The same thing has been going on in CA and OR for a long time. The media, politicians and law enforcement may whip this into a frenzy for various reasons and demonize the foreigners. But, huge illegal grows by organized criminal gangs are a problem, albeit one caused in part by current national drug laws.
 

xtsho

Well-Known Member
I like a lot of your posts but think this one is a little over the top. @xtsho lives in the state and is citing a problem with organized criminal enterprises doing large scale illegal grows. The foreign element is not really the issue, it’s the total lack of stewardship for the environment (overuse of fertilizer and pesticides, ripping off water etc). They are producing black market weed that most of us here would be horrified to consume in today’s day and age.
The same thing has been going on in CA and OR for a long time. The media, politicians and law enforcement may whip this into a frenzy for various reasons and demonize the foreigners. But, huge illegal grows by organized criminal gangs are a problem, albeit one caused in part by current national drug laws.
I'm glad others understand what's actually going on.
 

Dank Bongula

Well-Known Member
Sounds like you're saying foreign criminal enterprises don't give a shit about any of your rules, much less the environment or the people they hurt. Yet concern only becomes noteworthy when it happens in your backyard? Avoiding taxes, illegally growing, subpar quality product, funneling money out of state and human trafficking are one thing but you draw the line at the environmental damage? You make the decisions to only follow some of the laws but not others? Sounds like they are just taking the land and doing whatever they want to it just like the white man did...it is stolen land anyway. I don't see how anyone can support sending the govt in there to eradicate them "scorched earth" style, as that sounds like it would create environmental damage too. Hopefully they move it to Idaho or Montana so you can stop caring.
 

Dank Bongula

Well-Known Member
Scare tactics. They are just foreign farmers trying to make a living. No arrests even made, they just seized (stole) their guns and money from them and destroyed their crops! Nobody was in charge of those guns and money or plants and environmental damage? Cops just rolled in there and took everything and just let everyone go? Suspect as fuck! Defund those thieves!
 
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xtsho

Well-Known Member
Scare tactics. They are just foreign farmers trying to make a living. No arrests even made, they just seized (stole) their guns and money from them and destroyed their crops! Nobody was in charge of those guns and money or plants and environmental damage? Cops just rolled in there and took everything and just let everyone go? Suspect as fuck! Defund those thieves!
Like I said, clueless. I'll just leave it at that. I'm not going to even bother trying to convince someone that thinks these are just foreign farmers of anything. Not worth my time. I and many others understand what's going on and those that have no ties to the area that are just pushing some anti-government nonsense are seriously misinformed.

Just a few things though.

Oregon doesn't deport illegals and they're not going to arrest them for doing agricultural work. You know absolutely nothing about what's going on in Southern Oregon.

We legalized Cannabis. How does that even work if the black market is allowed to thrive? What about all those that went through the proper channels, paid for licensing, and now are at a disadvantage due to all this illegal weed seeping into the distribution channels?

There are no scare tactics only facts that you refuse to accept because all you care about is sticking it to the man. "Fuck the Government" is a lame excuse for supporting violent criminal enterprises. The entire premise of your argument is ridiculous. Just foreign farmers my ass. Are you trying to be a troll?
 

Dank Bongula

Well-Known Member
Oregon doesn't deport illegals and they're not going to arrest them for doing agricultural work. You know absolutely nothing about what's going on in Southern Oregon.
I'll tell you what I do know about southern Oregon...I know southern Oregon doesn't deport illegals nor will they be arrested for doing agricultural work, "illegal" or not.

Do you happen to know who else knows this?
The cartels know this. And now, here you are crying about these people on "your land" doing whatever they want. You literally invited them in...you need to be more respectful of your local diverse community or you're going to come off as a bigot.
 

The Hippy

Well-Known Member
What the hell are you talking about?

Knee's? Good boy? How about someone that cares for the state they live in and don't want Mexican drug cartels using my state to grow cannabis for their own profit while destroying the environment.

If you knew anything about the issue which you obviously don't, you wouldn't make such a stupid reply to my comment. The people running these operations are not Buford and Jim Bob farmers that fell on hard times and are just trying to feed their families. Most of these operations are run by the same people flooding our streets with heroin and fentanyl.

They abuse their workers and more than likely will pack up their harvest and just leave leaving the workers to fend for themselves and often not even paying them. They destroy the environment by taking water from creeks and streams leaving little water for the fish and other aquatic wildlife. We're in a damn drought there's hardly any water to begin with and they don't have water rights to the water. They're stealing it. They leave behind all the waste and move on. Leaving the property owners they leased the land from to deal with the mess.

You know nothing regarding this issue so maybe you should just keep your snide comments to yourself.
If I knew anything you ask? I do. I know this.
I know that if you knew anything you'd realize your in the Canadian section and we are talking about the Canadian scene here. Not your poorly run Hillbilly state.
Plus here we don't support the former jailers making a killing off taxes or whatever from legal weed sales. We have principles and don't fall to our knee's hand jerking our former and present jailers.
You pay em where you live and maybe discuss it there too.
Start a thread in your own section and I promise not to follow it.
 

xtsho

Well-Known Member
If I knew anything you ask? I do. I know this.
I know that if you knew anything you'd realize your in the Canadian section and we are talking about the Canadian scene here. Not your poorly run Hillbilly state.
Plus here we don't support the former jailers making a killing off taxes or whatever from legal weed sales. We have principles and don't fall to our knee's hand jerking our former and present jailers.
You pay em where you live and maybe discuss it there too.
Start a thread in your own section and I promise not to follow it.
Still clueless.


@chex1111 started the thread man. Not sure why in the Canadian section.
Exactly. I responded to a thread about Oregon. I don't know why it's in this section either.
 

Dorian2

Well-Known Member
Well since the thread is here. Sounds like a bit of an issue for the locals. To say the least.

 
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