MARIJUANA 'MINI-FARM' DISCOVERED IN WESTON FIELD

WESTON - Over the weekend, a group of environmentalists stumbled upon
marijuana plants in a large field near the abandoned Massachusetts Central
railroad tracks in Weston.

"We were out doing field restoration and cataloguing endangered species,
and found the marijuana plants at the edge of an open field," said Peter
Whittenberger, member of the Friends of the Spotted Turtle group. "I guess
there is a first time for everything."

After finding the six small pot plants, Whittenberger and his group
contacted the police. Officers said the discovery is far from uncommon.

"This is not unusual. In fact, every year we find a few plants growing in
various places throughout town," said Weston Deputy Police Chief Roland
Anderson. "There is a lot of wooded area in Weston, and people take
advantage of the coverage."

According to police, the plants found on the southwest side of town were
only a few inches high. Marijuana plants can grow to be 6 to 8 feet tall,
Anderson said.

"In a couple months, these plants would have been full-grown. I think that
we ruined someone's good time," he said.

The plantings were not simply a random scattering, according to the expert
eye of Whittenberger.

"Our upland fieldwork uncovered a couple of 5- by 10-inch micro-farms
hidden in the brush. Like microbreweries, these two hidden farms were
technological marvels.

"They had perfect solar orientation, to catch the maximum light. There was
an on-site irrigation device and all the necessary tools to maintain the
crop, including powerful fertilizers.

"Crop rotation was used, as one of the fields was fallow, resting for
alternate year use," he wrote in a letter to the Weston Town Crier.

After being uprooted, the confiscated plants were sent to the State Crime
Lab in Jamaica Plain and destroyed, as is done with any illegal substance
confiscated. Because the plants were so small, police said there is no
street value associated with them.

Alongside the plants, a shovel, the irrigation device and other farming
equipment were found.

"After we came upon the plants, we called the police and they came right
out," said Whittenberger. "People are laughing about this now. We knew that
in Maine and New Hampshire mini-farming of marijuana is a problem, but I
guess people are starting to utilize the woods of Weston."

Police, however, are not laughing at the mystery farmer. The area will be
monitored, according to Anderson.

"This is not a criminal case because there is no defendant. Right now, we
have no idea who planted them. We will be patrolling the area," Anderson
said. "We definitely will keep a watchful eye on the area."

In the cases where Weston Police have found marijuana plants on private
property, the homeowner is prosecuted.

"That hasn't happened in years, though," said Anderson.