Hello Everyone,
Evelyn here,
with a news release from the Media Office of the Attorney General Bill McCollum on the new Marijuana Grow House Eradication Act, which goes into effect on July 1, 2008.
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Bill McCollum
Attorney General
News Release
June 17, 2008
McCollum: Landmark Bill Targeting Marijuana Grow Houses Becomes Law
New law tackles for-profit growers, aids law enforcement
TALLAHASSEE, FL – Attorney General Bill McCollum today announced that the
Marijuana Grow House Eradication Act has been signed into law, giving
Florida’s prosecutors and law enforcement essential tools to combat
for-profit growers of marijuana. The new law, sponsored by Senator Steve
Oelrich (R-Gainesville) and Representative Nick Thompson (R-Ft. Myers),
passed as House Bill 173 during the 2008 Legislative Session and was signed
into law by Governor Charlie Crist today. The bill was developed because of
the increasing number of grow houses operating in the state and violent
crime which tend to be associated with these operations.
“Grow houses are not only furthering this dangerous drug trade within our
state, they are bringing violent crime into our neighborhoods,” said
Attorney General McCollum. “This new law will help protect our families and
communities.”
The new law makes it a second-degree felony to grow 25 or more plants,
targeting for-profit growers who exploit Florida’s previous threshold of
300 plants. The law will also make it a third-degree felony to own a house
for the purpose of cultivating, packaging and distributing marijuana and a
first-degree felony to grow 25 or more plants in a home with children
present.
“Marijuana is the most commonly used illegal drug in America and we must
take a stand against the for-profit growers who were previously exploiting
higher thresholds,” said Sen. Oelrich. “By lowering the number of plants
necessary for criminal charges, we’ve given Florida’s authorities valuable
tools in the fight against these criminal operations.”
"Grow houses have become a very real threat to the safety and security in
too many Florida communities," said Representative Thompson. "Floridians
who use grow houses to traffic drugs belong in prison. This law sends the
message loud and clear that if you grow, you go. I am grateful to Attorney
General Bill McCollum for his support and Governor Crist for signing this
bill into law."
Recent statistics reveal the alarming increase in the number of grow houses
being maintained in Florida as well as the ever-developing levels of
sophistication of grow house operations. Marijuana grow houses primarily
specializing in hydroponic marijuana have been detected in more than 40 of
Florida’s 67 counties and within the past few months, cooperative efforts
by law enforcement statewide have taken down more than 140 houses and
seized more than $41.6 million worth of marijuana. Another recent case out
of Palm Beach County brought charges against 29 people who were part of a
drug trafficking ring which operated and maintained 25 marijuana grow
houses throughout Palm Beach County and one in Miami-Dade County.
Other important aspects of the law will provide substantial benefits to
Florida’s law enforcement community. Previously, law enforcement around the
state were required to store cumbersome grow house equipment in order to
preserve it as evidence. To address this growing storage burden, the new
law allows a photograph or video recording of equipment used in the
cultivation of a marijuana plant to be considered as evidence in the
prosecution of the crime. The law will also allow law enforcement to
destroy grow house equipment upon the completion of all investigations and
provides immunity from any civil liability to law enforcement for the
destruction of the grow house equipment
The Marijuana Grow House Eradication Act goes into effect on July 1, 2008.
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Evelyn out.
