OFFICIALS SEIZING LESS MARIJUANA AS CROP MOVES INDOORS

Authorities are seizing fewer marijuana plants in Ohio this year
because growers are moving their operations indoors to avoid
detection, law enforcement officials said.

Last year, about 74,350 marijuana plants were seized and destroyed
statewide, said Ted Almay, head of Ohio's Bureau of Criminal
Identification. About 33,000 plants have been found this year.

"It's very true that marijuana growers are moving the plants inside,"
he said. "We've seen a marked decrease in the number of outdoor plots
this year."

Authorities are starting to reduce their searches by helicopter and
airplane for marijuana crops because the harvest season is almost
over. The plants are easiest to see by air at this time of year
because they're brighter than other crops, Almay said.

The Medina County Drug Task Force covers 425 square miles and has
found four plants this year, said Fred Wolk, agent in charge of the
group. Last year, the task force found 529 plants.

"We've had a major drop this year," he said. "I think growers are
starting to become aware of where we look and are moving inside."

Changes in technology are allowing marijuana growers to convert
basements, barns, outhouses and crawl spaces in their homes into
marijuana greenhouses, Almay said.

The size of the crop often is smaller than if it was grown outside,
but the drug can be more potent when grown indoors. Indoor growers
tend to cross-breed different marijuana plants to develop a plant that
is stronger and has less waste, Almay said.

While growing marijuana indoors makes it harder to find, it does have
some drawbacks. Growers need a sophisticated lighting system and must
spend a lot of time taking care of the plants. Marijuana grown outside
often can be left alone until ready to be harvested, Almay said.

"A downside is that growing marijuana inside makes a very strong
criminal case," he said. "It's hard to disavow that you have 500
plants growing in your basement. People who grow them outside can
claim the plants aren't theirs."

Because a lot of electricity is needed to grow marijuana indoors, law
enforcement agents are asking utility companies to alert them if a
customer's bill shows substantial increases.

Officials also are using infrared detectors on homes where they think
marijuana is growing inside. The equipment determines whether the home
is very hot -- a necessary condition for growing the substance.

Law enforcement officials will increase their efforts to find
marijuana plants grown inside, Almay said.

"Tens of thousands of marijuana plants are grown in Ohio and intended
to stay here," Almay said. "We're taking aggressive steps to stop this
problem."

Copyright 1998 Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Checked-by: Rich O'Grady