POLITICS ASIDE, ILLEGAL GROWERS ARE A THREAT

A dozen rifle-bearing marijuana growers were hiding out in the
canyons just below hillside homes near Platina.

During my recent visit to a marijuana eradication operation in
western Shasta County, I was able to witness firsthand the efforts of
Sheriff Tom Bosenko and our CAMP (Campaign Against Marijuana
Planting) task force.

Even as the debate continues across the state as to whether we should
or should not legalize marijuana, on the front lines there is no
debate. Men and women in law enforcement are doing the job we pay
them to do and are laying their lives on the line at the same time.

The rifle-bearing men don't care about the compassionate use of
marijuana. They don't care about the rights of property owners. They
don't care about the destruction of personal or public property. They
don't care about the safety of nearby residents. They care about one
thing and one thing only: money.

I hear over and over that if we legalize marijuana we will eliminate
this type of threat -- and California voters may very well make that
decision this November. But meanwhile, massive marijuana production
by gun-toting men hunkering down under the manzanita remains a crime.

On the day I participated, nearly 55,000 plants were removed. This
was not a compassionate-use backyard garden. The plot stretched for a
quarter mile down the canyon. That plot was just the tip of the
iceberg -- over the next hillside, CAMP members found another 30,000
to 40,000 plants. Even more plants were discovered in the very next
canyon. You get the idea -- and this is just one small corner of Shasta County.

Simply put, this type of production remains illegal. It is a federal
crime and it is a state crime.

When I was a kid my parents didn't hesitate to allow us to spend lazy
summer days hiking in the canyons and hillsides that surrounded our
Shasta County home. Would you let your children wander off in those
same areas today? I don't think so.

You can debate legalization all you want, but for right now, lives
are on the line. I pray to God that some young child (or adult for
that matter) doesn't end up dead because they unknowingly entered one
of these illegal grows.

While the CAMP task force was able to locate and detain two men
during the Platina operation, the rest were able to escape into the
thick underbrush, sure to surface with yet another illegal plantation.

I am truly grateful for the efforts of Sheriff Bosenko, CAMP task
force members and the various local, state and federal officers who
participated in this eradication effort. This year they have removed
roughly 300,000 plants in Shasta County.

My personal thanks and sincere appreciation go to the hardworking men
and women who stand in harm's way to protect us. May God bless you
for your efforts and keep you safe.