Marijuana plant seizures down in Ohio
Growing operations become harder for authorities to detect
11/12/2013DAYTON, Ohio — Seizures of marijuana plants during summer eradication efforts in Ohio were down this year.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration reports that authorities found more than 20,470 plants during the summer growing season in Ohio. That’s a 76-percent decline from 2010, when authorities seized a record 84,660 plants in the annual effort.
Authorities tell The Dayton Daily News that outdoor seizures have declined as pot growers increasingly use sophisticated indoor grow operations, which are less easily detected by helicopters.
Removal of the illegal plants came at the hands of sheriff’s deputies in multiple counties, with support from agents from the Ohio Attorney General’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation. The state uses a federal grant to pay for helicopters, pilots, supplies and administrative costs, while county sheriffs provide ground support.