POT FOUND ALONG HIGHWAY

Members of a highway cleanup crew collected some intriguing litter
along Interstate 4, near Plant City, on Tuesday morning.

At 7:30 a.m., the crewmen were near McIntosh Road when they spotted
two large plastic trash bags on the side of the highway that were
filled with about 60 pounds of marijuana, the Florida Highway Patrol
said.

Trooper Larry Coggins said the plants, valued at more than $54,000,
apparently fell or were thrown out of a passing vehicle. They appeared
freshly cut, and some had intact root balls. Investigators suspected
the plants were harvested within the previous 24 hours from a
grow-house operation, Coggins said.

Tuesday's discovery was not the largest amount of marijuana found
alongside a highway, "but it certainly isn't an everyday event," the
trooper said.

Anyone missing their bags of marijuana or who knows how these bags
made their way onto the roadside is asked to contact the Florida
Highway Patrol.