Anonymous
Source: Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office
On June 17th, 2019, detectives from the Sheriff’s Cannabis Compliance Team executed four search warrants related to an illegal cannabis cultivation site outside the City of Buellton. These warrants were the culmination of an approximate two-month investigation involving fraudulently obtained State temporary and provisional cannabis licenses and the suspected sales of undocumented cannabis. The search warrants took place in the City of Santa Maria, in San Luis Obispo County and in the 1800 block of West Highway 246, just outside Buellton City limits. The operation involved 35 detectives, investigators and Wildlife Officers from various agencies. These agencies included the Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Cannabis Compliance Team, Special Investigations Bureau, Criminal Investigations Bureau, Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office, California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Army National Guard Counter Drug Task Force.
The cultivation area itself was located on a property of approximately 187 acres of agricultural land, with just over 60 acres of it being used for the commercial cultivation of cannabis. From the initial investigation, it appeared the site was used to continually cultivate cannabis throughout the year and at the time of the search, approximately 40 acres was presently growing, with a large amount having been recently harvested. It took a total of four days for the team to seize approximately 20 tons of processed cannabis and eradicate approximately 350,000 cannabis plants, several of which were nearly ready to harvest.
This investigation was the result of complaints from the public, tips and information provided to the Sheriff’s Cannabis Compliance Team. At the time of this press release, the owner of the property had not been located or contacted, and the case will be forwarded to the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office for review of criminal charges.
The case is still being actively investigated and no further information will be provided at this time.
They dispose of it. It’s money down the drain. No one gets it.
Sounds just like when law enforcement broke up illegal stills with hatchets and poured out the booze. How do you dispose of 200+++ tons of pot? How do they dispose of it? Burning it would be air pollution. Can you make mulch out of it by mixing with other vegetation? Would the mulch be stinky? Inquiring minds want to know….
It’s too bad the cops don’t sell it and use the money for needed L.E. equipment.
What a shame, Could you imagine the size of the brownie we could of made with all that? 🙂
2:03pm, check the math – At a VERY conservative $10/eighth (of an ounce,) you’re looking at $1280/lb. $100/lb is a ridiculously low estimate, even for low quality weed.
So before Das and Dennis and the rest of the County Cartel spokesmen start tooting their horn about the bust of the “bad actors”- know this—- this grow was known to the county for over a year, had been reported repeatedly, had received state licenses recently AUTHORIZED by the county…….so, don’t fall for their “getting rid of the black market” BS. The County CREATED a NEW black market with grows like this one that DID NOT EXIST until the County adopted the most permissive ordinance in the State signaling to people far and wide that NO PROOF of prior nonconforming would be required.
I smell a recall of Das Williams. He sold District One out.
Along with their henchmen supervisors.
Street is 2500 a pound last I checked a few years ago, 3000 lb for good skunk. Could be different. This ain’t your granddad’s lid. 🙂
Before all the pro-pot people (users?) start bellyaching about what a waste of good product this is, I’ll say that I am all for raids like this. These growers should follow the rules, pay their taxes and fees, etc, regardless of what they grow.
If they had a state license and compliant for a yr, the county may be in trouble. don’t know the facts there 900 lb indoor 3/400 greenhouse so 20,000,000,00 in flower not but half that is wet or drying plant FYI hard to believe a grow that large was that blatant and not complying
At $1,000/lb, (guessing) this is a $40 million bust of flowers. Taxpayers paid for several agencies investigating for two months, but taxpayers will never get the $40 million. Who does?
These money grubbing opportunists need to be prosecuted-
“The operation involved 35 detectives, investigators and Wildlife Officers from various agencies.” Wow, 35 people for what is essentially a permit violation. If LE spent as much time and resources on other permit violations, our community would be cleared of scofflaws and most criminals enterprises. Like businesses that employ the undocumented, ignore permit and licensing requirements, run on cash and cheat the government (and you) out of their rightful share.
Das Williams promised strict enforcement as pay off for expanding pot operations for his buddies. Hold him to this promise.
When will our society grow up? Prohibition serves only the ignorant and rich. Makes criminals for little reason. Research why pot was made illegal in the first place. Making it a schedule 1, same as heroin!. 0 recorded deaths (arguably) with MJ and 15,000 per year from heroin. Jeezers man, how about some logical and intelligent reasons for making so many people criminals. Our MJ laws make criminals of over 50% of our population.
Like much of the county’s ordinance, it IS hard to believe – but oh so true……and all that money made without ever having to get a land use permit! Thanks, Das!
Not if they were issued a temp state license based on fraudulent information.
This operator was issued 200 state licenses and was in competition with Das’ buddies in Carp. This bust makes him look good all the way around…. Peoole think he’s actually doing something and his buddies get rid of a competitor. Win Win for Das
Pot is an industrial crop grown under high-tech conditions. These are industrial pot manufacturers; they are not farmers.It is not a food crop. Is someone worried the “gangs” are still cutting into the legal pot industrial complex?
Ha ha yeah I think the “cannabis” PR machine is learning that the “we are just like broccoli” spin doesn’t do so well here, esp among people with a shred of intelligence or knowledge of local land use. Give it up.
When I smell broccoli, I think of stir-fry food, and my mouth begins to water. When I go through Carpenteria, I think of dead skunks and I roll up my windows. Completely different reaction.
The Indy and LA Times articles do a good job of outlining the ridiculous County rules that led to this situation. People could get a temporary license by self-verifying that they had grown pot even if they hadn’t. People can apply for multiple licenses. Taxes are based on reported product and not on acreage under cultivation. We have 1/3 of the licensed land in the state. Hopefully the politicos that stood to benefit from this situation will move on to other offices before the local blowback kicks them out of their current positions. Then we can get someone in to fix it.
Zerohawk – looks like we’re not wanted haha!
Look at all that premium cannabis! Looks bomb!!
I agree with many here that if you follow the rules & do the right thing you don’t end up losing a bundle. How easy can it get? Sure the permits cost $, but it’ll cost MUCH more when you get busted & lose the whole ranch. Easy come = easy go. Shortcuts rarely work. Stupid!
Huh, so who has the monopoly on this? Pretty obvious now. Wow, and what are they doing with all this sieged pot???? Ya selling it themselves.
I don’t smoke weed, the thing I do have A problem with, is it being grown in our local cities, that’s ridiculous, why?????? Should of never been allowed, move it out, to where it can not be seen or smelled. I smell it every time I go to Carpinteria, and so do the kids, that’s so wrong, parents are trying to keep their kids in school and get an education, it’s hard enough with both parents working, to only have this a consent in children’s minds every day. Shame on them , who would think growing it near schools was alright? Just like you can’t have bar near a school, move it out to Santa Ynez or somewhere not encroaching on people’s lives.
So selfish.
But let’s complain about some homeless people, I don’t think the kids look at them and say that’s what I’ll do when I get out of school. Nope, but now they maybe saying, hey I’ll be a pot dealer.
GET IT OUT.
Obviously I’m talking about the place Carpinteria, were you can smell it horribly.
Crystalandmaui – what place in Carp? I’m out there a lot and I don’t smell it anymore.
They should follow the same rules as the broccoli and lettuce growers. No permit required. No air scrubbers for broccoli, which smells as well. How about spending all this money on gang enforcement instead?
At least its legal!!!