Harboring A Pot House:Behind the walls of this BelAir mansion,sheriff's
deputies found thousands of marijuana plants allegedly being cultivated by
Todd McCormick,founder of a San Diego cannabis club.(a large picture of
home behind gate)
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POLICE: Detectives seize 4,000 marijuana plants with an estimated value of
$25 million.By MICHAEL FLEEMAN The Associated Pres
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LOS ANGELESIn a five story,castlestyle mansion in BelAir,authorities
discovered a major marijuanagrowing operation,allegedly run by an
outspoken advocate for the legalization of pot for medicinal use.

Todd McCormick,27,appeared in federal court Wednesday on charges he was
growing thousands of highgrade marijuana plants under artificial lights on
four of the mansion's floors and on the back patio.

McCormick and others were charged with conspiracy to manufacture
marijuana plants and with possession with intent to distribute marijuana
plants.If convicted,they face a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison.

A judge set bail at $100,000 for McCormick.U.S. Magistrate Judge James
McMahon ordered McCormick not to use or sell marijuana as a condition of
bail.He ordered lesser bail for three others and let a fifth person go for
lack of evidence.

Acting on information from previous arrests,authorities arrested the
group Tuesday night and seized what detectives counted as 4,000
marijuana plants with an estimated value of $25 million,making this
one of the biggest pot busts in the history of the Los Angeles County
Sheriff's Department.

McCormick is the founder of a San Diego cannabis club and an active
member of California's successful Proposition 215 campaign to legalize
medicinal marijuana. A friend said McCormick was cultivating the pot to
give to cancer sufferers like himself to ease their pain.

Peron called the raid a "political bust"by antiProposition 215
forces.