On March 3rd, 2011, Santa Ana police and Orange County sheriff’s deputies raided a warehouse in southeast Santa Ana, where they discovered a 6,000-square-foot marijuana-growing operation. While officials haven’t said how many plants they found, they estimated the grow could produce “$120,000 worth of marijuana every six weeks,” according to a story today in the Orange County Register. The raid apparently came a week after the cops received an anonymous tip that marijuana was being grown in the warehouse.
During the week between the tip and the raid, police presumably tried to figure out who was running the industrial-size grow; which they claim is the largest “high-end” marijuana cultivation facility they’ve busted yet in Santa Ana.
“Composed of four rooms, each with dozens of marijuana plants at various stages of maturity, as well as a fifth under construction, the warehouse was equipped with an elaborate air-filtration system capable of minimizing the operation’s odor, as well as a high-tech hydroponics system that allowed growers to mix water and fertilizer,” the Register reported. “Narcotics officers described the operation as being six to seven times larger than the ones they usually discover in apartments or homes.”
Growing marijuana in California without a valid prescription is a violation of Health and Safety Code 11358. H&S 11358 states:
“Every person who plants, cultivates, harvest, dries, or processes any marijuana or any part thereof, except as otherwise provided by law, shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison”
Whether it’s 1 plant or 300; this law applies to anyone who does not possess a prescription under California Health and Safety Code 11362.5.
If you or a loved one has been charged with cultivation of marijuana contact the experienced Southern California criminal defense attorneys at Wallin & Klarich. We’ve have been helping criminal defendants for over 30 years. Call us at (888) 280-6839 or visit us at www.wklaw.com.
