DRUG BUST A HIGH MARK FOR LOCAL TROOPERS

Recently, state police in North Towanda confiscated and destroyed
$400,000 worth of marijuana. The police found the drug growing in a
field in Wells Township last week.

Authorities discovered the marijuana growing 2(( months ago in a field
near the intersection of Ameigh Valley Road and Jennings Road. When the
marijuana was discovered, the state police Vice Narcotics Unit began
surveillance of the area in an attempt to find out who was growing the
drug.

The grower never returned for the marijuana during this time, and since
the plants were ready for cultivation, police decided to move in and
seize the drug.

The plants were taken to the state police barracks in North Towanda for
measurement, then destroyed by fire under the supervision of state
police Fire Marshal Tim Young and volunteers from the North Towanda
Fire Department.

Police said the smoke from the burning marijuana dissipated quickly and
did not adversely affect anyone in the area.

We applaud the state police troopers involved in the seizure of the
marijuana and are glad to see the drugs will never make it to the
streets of Bradford County.

But it still remains to be seen who the person is who was cultivating
the marijuana to be sold.

And that is very disturbing.

Now, it becomes the responsibility of anyone with information regarding
the growth of the marijuana to report what they know to state police.

That way, those individuals can be held responsible for what they have
done.

Studies have shown that marijuana is becoming increasingly popular with
the youth of America.

And it is also common knowledge that marijuana is known as a "gateway
drug,'' because it often opens the doors to drugs such as heroin and
cocaine.

So it is a good thing police nipped this thing in the bud.

We only hope state police can find out who is responsible for the
growth of the drug.

That way, they may be able to dissuade other people from trying to grow
large quantities of the drug.