$1.25 BILLION IN STATE POT BUSTS

Greater Bay Area Accounts For A Third

The greater Bay Area accounted for more than a third of all the marijuana
plants seized this year by a special California law enforcement program,
state Attorney General Bill Lockyer announced Tuesday.

Local, state and federal law enforcement agents teamed up to seize 313,776
illegal marijuana plants worth an estimated $1.25 billion across the state
in 2001 under the Campaign Against Marijuana Planting (CAMP) program.

Although Tehama County topped the list with 54,504 plants seized, Santa
Clara County came in second with 47,574 plants -- beating out third-ranked
Mendocino County, often considered a marijuana-growing haven -- and San
Mateo came in fourth with 30,409 plants.

"It's no longer grown mostly along the north coast in the 'Emerald
Triangle,' but grown all over the state, anywhere there's cover," Lockyer
said, announcing the year's haul at a press conference in San Jose.

23 Counties Raided

During CAMP 2001, officers from more than 70 agencies under the supervision
of the state Justice Department's Bureau of Narcotics Enforcement staged 149
raids in 23 counties, made 20 arrests and seized 19 weapons.

Other local counties on the CAMP list were Sonoma, ranked 7th with 15,662
plants seized; Napa, with 8,002 plants seized; and San Joaquin, with 7,405
plants seized. Combining those counties' plant seizures with Santa Clara's
and San Mateo's means the greater Bay Area accounted for almost 35 percent
of the state total.

Nathan Barankin, Lockyer's spokesman, insisted Tuesday there's no conflict
between CAMP and the state law permitting medicinal use of marijuana.

"It's an illegal drug that cannot be used for any purpose other than when a
doctor recommends it for a legitimate medical purpose," he said. "The
average size of our busts were over 2,000 plants each -- that is not a
medicinal-sized operation. We're talking about criminal activity where their
singular purpose is to raise money and hook kids on drugs."

In fact, Lockyer said investigations found about 70 percent of the plants
seized this year were from gardens operated by people with ties to Mexican
drug cartels which also are involved in making and distributing
methamphetamine and other drugs.

Forest Operations

"We continue to find large operations in state and national forests or other
land available to the public, which presents a dangerous situation for
hikers, campers and others," Lockyer said. "Those hired to tend the large
gardens are often immigrant recruits living for weeks in modest campsites
who are armed and under orders to defend their illegal crop."