BANGOR, Maine — One of the men who supervised workers at a massive marijuana-growing operation in Township 37 in Washington County took his own life in February 2011 just days before he was to have testified before a federal grand jury, according to court documents unsealed Friday.
A nine-page affidavit for a search warrant in the case outlined details about the operation, considered by police to be one of the most sophisticated ever run in the state.
Scott MacPherson’s suicide is mentioned in an affidavit submitted with an application for a search warrant dated Jan. 31, 2012. The warrant, signed by U.S. Magistrate Judge Margaret Kravchuk, sought to obtain cheek swabs from two men who have pleaded not guilty to drug charges in connection with the case.
Information about the results of DNA tests on cheek swabs taken from
Malcolm A. French, 50, of Enfield and Rodney Russell, 48, of South Thomaston are not included in court documents connected with the case.
In addition to French and Russell, three people and a Maine corporation have been indicted on federal charges in connection with the operation, which was uncovered in Washington County three years ago.
Kendall Chase, 55, of Bradford, Robert Berg, 49, of Dexter, French, Russell and Haynes Timberland Inc., a Maine corporation, all pleaded not guilty this week to charges stemming from the Sept. 22, 2009, seizure of 2,943 marijuana plants. All four men are free on bail.
French and his wife, Barbara French, own Haynes Timberland. The corporation owns the land where the marijuana was grown, according to court documents. Federal prosecutors have asked that the corporation be required to forfeit the property.
The name of a fifth person indicted by a federal grand jury has been redacted from court documents. Once the individual is arrested, his or her name will be released, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
It took more than 60 state and federal law enforcement officers almost a week that fall to harvest nearly 3,000 high-quality marijuana plants worth an estimated $9 million from a remote area in Township 37 near the town of Wesley and about 10 miles off Route 9, according to previously published reports.
The massive pot plantation was found after a tip was left on the Maine State Police Troop J website, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a press release issued Monday. When police flew a plane over the site, people on the ground set fire to several buildings being used as dormitories before the suspected growers fled.
When the marijuana operation was discovered, Maine Drug Enforcement Agency officials characterized the size, scope and detail of the operation as quite surprising. They said the plants — many of them 8 feet tall and highly cultivated — were of extremely high quality.
“We have never seen this type of operation in Maine before,” MDEA Director Roy McKinney said at the time. He confirmed that it was a plantation or farm, where caretakers of the crop lived 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
“These are the types of operations we see on the West Coast,” McKinney said. “In Maine, when marijuana is grown in remote locations, someone usually hikes in and checks it periodically. These growers were living right here.”
There were seven buildings in the farm area.
The affidavit for the search warrant said that DNA from seven males was found on various items seized in the buildings where marijuana was being harvested and where workers from Mexico were housed. Just one matched an individual in the national DNA database.
That individual, who is identified in court documents as “CW,” was incarcerated out of state after being convicted of child molestation, the affidavit for the search warrant said. In exchange for immunity from prosecution, the man, who speaks only Spanish and is in the country illegally, told investigators that he and six other Mexicans worked at the marijuana operation under a foreman named “Moises.”
“He explained that other than Moises and his six Mexican colleagues, there were three Americans who he regularly saw at the Grow,” the affidavit said in an apparent reference to the plantation. “Two stayed at the Grow all the time. Their names were ‘Rod’ and ‘Scott.’ He explained that Rod and Scott lived and worked at the Grow and kept an eye on the progress of the Mexican workers.”
CW also told police that the owner of the Grow was Malcolm, according to the affidavit. He picked out photos of French, MacPherson and Russell from a photo array.
The case has tentatively been scheduled for trial Nov. 7 but because of the amount of discovery in the case it is unlikely to be ready for trial until next year, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Russell and Chase are charged with conspiracy to manufacture more than 1,000 marijuana plants. French, Russell, Berg and Chase are charged with manufacturing more than 1,000 marijuana plants. French, Russell and Haynes Timberland are charged with managing and controlling property used to manufacture marijuana. French, Russell and Berg also are charged with harboring illegal aliens. In addition, Berg is charged with assisting individuals conspiring to manufacture marijuana evade apprehension.
Information about how Kendall and Berg were connected to the case was not available late Friday.
If convicted, defendants charged with conspiracy and manufacturing marijuana face between 10 years and life in prison and a $10 million fine.
Those charged with managing and controlling property used to manufacture marijuana face up to 20 years in prison and a $500,000 fine, if convicted. Defendants charged with harboring illegal aliens face up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine; and those charged with assisting individuals to evade apprehension face up to 15 years in prison and a $5 million fine, if convicted.
Is there such a thing as low quality weed? I thought that was seeds and stems
From what I’ve read, today’s pot is FAR more potent than what we had in the 60’s.
“From what I’ve read, today’s pot is FAR more potent than what we had in the 60’s.”
That’s a canard, based on comparing imported commercial cannabis with domestic fresh cannabis.
Commercial cannabis, imported from other countries, is generally dried in full sunshine, pressed into bales in a trash compactor, wrapped in multiple layers of plastic and imported into the US. Each of these steps causes some degradation of the cannabinoids; light is particularly damaging to THC, and causes much of it to degrade.
On the other hand, well-grown domestic cannabis is generally dried in the dark and stored in jars that feature “breathing room” allowing the flowers to off-gas CO2, allowing non-psychoactive THC acid to convert to THC. If you were to compare connoisseur level samples of cannabis from the 60’s and today, you would find that the samples are within the range that you would expect, given that different cultivars of cannabis do have different cannabinoid levels.
I love it when scientists speak!
Or so you’ve heard…right?
It’s true of all herbs and spices.
Local fresh and properly cured is always of a higher quality.
Is that you Sheldon??
Huff Post 08-09-2011
quote:
The federal government ruled on Friday that marijuana has no accepted medical use and should remain in the same class of drugs as heroin.
The decision comes nearly nine years after marijuana supporters asked the government to reclassify the drug to take into account the growing body of research conducted across the globe that proves it’s effective in treating certain diseases, reports The Los Angeles Times.
well that’s a bunch of BS propaganda now isn’t it :-/
Research shows that 90% of all research is wrong!
Heard that on the TV, didn’t you?
To think that we have improved a plant in the last 50 years that has been cultivated for drug use in parts of the world for thousands is the height of ignorance.
Fact is, there have always been varying levels of Cannabinoids in Marijuana. Can it be grown better now, given advances in plant science and our knowledge of it? Sure. But to say its FAR more potent is a shame. I doubt the average THC level has gone up more then a percent or two.Also, there’s what Homer said, as well.
Nope. it was from a couple of high school buddies that still smoke the stuff, and a show on the Nat Geo or Science perhaps. Back then, the big deal was supposed to be Thai Stick or Acapulco Gold. So I took the liberty to give the web a quick look:
“More recent research undertaken at the University of Mississippi’s Potency Monitoring Project[52] has found that average THC levels in cannabis samples between 1975 and 2007 have increased from 4% in 1983 to 9.6% in 2007.”
I would call an increase of well over 100% percent as “far more potent”
“While commentators have warned that greater cannabis “strength” could represent a health risk, others have noted that users readily learn to compensate by reducing their dosage, thus benefiting from reductions in smoking side-hazards such as heat shock or carbon monoxide.”
I would suggest not taking a moment to check before trying to ‘correct’ some one might be an even higher ‘level of ignorance’
Well, there have been advances in the last 50 years. Changes. But not sweeping changes. I guess 50 years ago, more people were smoking Landrace Sativas that were poorly cured, transported, shipped. What has happened in the last 50 years is the development of Indica / Sativa hybrids, and more growing in the US. 50 years ago, it might be common to see a brick of Oaxacan Sativa, moldy, rotten, and full of seeds. The Oaxacan might not have had a high THC content, but it has other properties, perhaps CBD, that made it noteworthy. Over the last 50 years, growers obtained seeds from all over the world, noted their characteristics, and crossbred them for the qualities that they were looking for, such as buds of a particular size and shape that customers might like. Particular smells are appealing, particular colors, more trichs, things like that. And Landraces, which might contain specific medical qualities, are disappearing.
But it is basically the same stuff.
Ah, Maine celebrates diversity! Mexican drug wars coming soon to a Maine town near you……
I guess this could count as the first death by marijuana?
The picture at the top of the article is of PLANTS growing in NATURE, and they are beautiful! It looks like the cover of a National Geographic. R.I.P. to the man who felt taking his own life was better than facing these insane marijuana laws and god bless the others. After all, they face prison time for a god given plant.
Okay, so, a Mexican pedophile is caught and rats out the growing process in Maine. Why did they have Mexican’s doing the work? People they hardly know. Why aren’t any of the Mexicans being charged and exported? Oh, witnesses perhaps.
A “West coast type of operation” in Maine?
Sounds like a budding franchise opportunity…
Figures there had to be a rat involved though.
A budding franchise opportunity…
Heh.
How many more Mr. Speaker!, How many more must DIE before we stop the persecution of the harmless farmers and their gentle customers!
Howie? Howie Carr? Is that you?
Nope, its the thoughtpolicemen.
I take it you don’t listen to evening drivetime AM radio in Boston, because it seems like that went over your head higher than a plane coming into Logan
You are correct. I do not. This is actually more or less the extent of my interaction with media or the news and its mostly just to come yell at people I find ignorant. I don’t watch TV (at all), nor do I listen to the radio (at all). If Mr. Carr said something similar to that, I am unaware.
When planes come into Logan, they really aren’t at that high of an altitude (considering they are landing, an all) so while that may have went over my head, at least its not so far above me that I can’t see it passing me by.
I too dislike most of TV. I do enjoy National Geograpgic. Science, History and NASA channels, but detest sit-coms and ‘reality’ shows.
Howie Carr is a somewhat obnoxious call-in talk radio host here in Boston. He’s been heavily into Mass politics and gangsters for years with several books about The Bulger brothers (Whitey) under his belt. His most famous line is “How many more, Mr. Speakah? How many more….?” Our last 4 Speakers have been ousted and/or imprisoned for some degree of corruption. I know that at least one of Maine’s papers uses an occasional column of his and is on some FM channel up there.
I see. Well, that’s the price I pay for being a schizoid.
I fancy the “learning” channels, as well. History and such. If I watch TV, its perhaps once every couple months, and it’s always something of that sort.
Ive read a fair bit about Bulger, nothing of Carr’s work, though. Is he considered an expert in the subject? Fascinating people, crime figures, murders, etc. Always rather interesting subjects for character study.
Well, people are corrupt by nature. No-one is wholly good. There is dark side to everything. I suppose the depth of their corruption is where the mark be made, as it were.
Good Day.
Marijuana didn’t kill him. Suicide did. Still not one death caused by Marijuana. Ever.
You are correct, the actual marijuana itself did not kill him. However the manufacture, sale and distribution of marijuana has in fact CAUSED the death of hundreds of people.
If we made paper plates illegal, the same would result. Its the nature of the black market and the organized crime which cause the issues you speak of. People are willing to kill to protect their investments and profits. Its the illegal nature of the plant which causes harm. Make it legal. Remove the money from it and the organized crime has no reason to continue being involved.
Here is a list of other things which have caused the death of hundreds (maybe more) people:
Cats
Swings
Toothpaste
Hamburgers
Nerf Footballs
Tissues
Condoms
Sugar Cubes
Toilets
If pot was legal there would be no need for this type of operation. everyone could grow their own and the price would drop out of the market..
have always wondered why this would not work? if all the heads saved their seeds and just threw them out the window as they drove along or scattered them wherever they hiked wouldn’t a good portion take root even without tending? they are a weed right? a movement like this nationwide would put the illegal trade out of business and make the illegality of the plant pointless.
I’ll smoke to that !!
“if all the heads saved their seeds and just threw them out the window as they drove along or scattered them wherever they hiked wouldn’t a good portion take root even without tending?”
No, they wouldn’t. Maine’s climate is not suitable for feral cannabis. The seeds germinate long before the growing conditions are suitable.
that may be, but what about the plan nation wide? and would not the plant adapt to the region over time just as tomatoes, beans, and squash have done? and corn?
other more temperate regions would have better success than some in the north but overall wouldn’t all the landscape be covered in weed? weed every where you look.
They will grow from seeds being thrown. Go to where they spread the compost from sewer plants tomatos and pot always grow there. You would have to throw the seeds out every year in the spring.
Yeah, I dont feel like growing things you intend to ingest or consume in anything related to sewers or industrial plants is a great idea. But hey, do what you please, by all means…
Look at what grows when you have places near a leach field that can’t be mowed.
National “Spread the Seed Week” is the 3 week of May each year. Moto: Leave no fertile ground untouched.
A genetically modified organism could and probably has been engineered that is hearty to the cold and self pollinating. Just like Mosanto with our food the marijuana seeds would be hearty, insect resistant, along with disease and draught tolerant. Monsanto promised in the 80’s food shortages and high prices would be a thing of the past. The problem is that as with Monsanto GMO’s the resulting seeds from the weed GMO’s may not germinate. Isn’t science wonderful?
Uh…
Cannabis is all of those and it isn’t modified. Isn’t nature wonderful?
umm… yea it dont work I tried it :(
Im not sure I agree. Cannabis seems to be one of the most hardy plants on the face of the earth. I have heard first hand accounts of people witnessing plants growing in near freezing temperatures. Also, based on some quick reading, it seems that seeds are stored in the freezer to simulate winter conditions. Im no botanist, but it seems like it could potentially have a decent chance of surviving and becoming feral.
Regardless, I feel like he is not suggesting just plating them and letting it spread on its own accord but rather a yearly scattering of seeds.
As far as I know, there is feral cannabis all over the country.
The buds I smoke don’t have seeds. Cool idea though!
The local farmers would be mad if male plants were allowed to grow everywhere and ruined their crop.
there wouldn’t be local farmers making a lot of money. quality would likely drop under full legalization. There would be a lot of random pollen flying around.
not :-/
This has been my cause for close to three decades now. If the cops have such a hard on to find such a beneficial and harmless plant, I do my best to make it easy for them. I save my seeds and collect my friends seeds casting them into flower gardens and such at courthouses, jails, and any other public building that I can find. Maybe if enough of us are planting the weed for them to easily find, then they will stop harrassing us poor old farmers and let us live in peace. Just think how many billions of dollars they could save, not wasting my tax dollars on the so-called war on drugs.
to this day, I cannot for the life of me, understand why marijuana is not legalized!! I have heard ALL the arguments, since the 60″s and so far… NONE have made sense to me, the medical aspect is a crop of BS!!! we have legal MEDS , along with booze , and cigs, on the market! that are far more deadly than a joint!!! therefore; it can”t possibly be believed, that it is for the health benefit!! So… it kills brain cells, a person could argue, only the weak ones!!! Never mind the legal ramifications from booze, and the lung damage from cigs !!
If you have a conventional design septic system just flush the seeds and stop mowing near the leach field. I know it seems to work for things like tomato and strawberry seeds.
Well not exactly, the gov’t would lose their corner on the market, so they would impose taxes and fees to regain some, and then establish a price floor (never good economics milk or pot), so nobody ever rides even close to free, all so to regain every penny that they consider theirs. Funny world.
Yup, that’s exactly what would happen. There would no market at all. Maybe, possibly, in cities. Unless it became so ridiculously cheap, like $2o a pound.
Sad to know that he felt so hopeless that he saw no other way out of the situation he was in except suicide. I feel sorry for him and my prayers are to God in heaven for some comfort for his family. This is a very sad story. Can’t understand why the war mongering leader of the Choom Gang hasn’t done more to end marijuana prohibition. Ohhhh, I remember…….all the money from seizures and forfeitures that can be used for more war mongering. How silly of me.
Those wheels of justice sure move slow!
They’ve got resin all over ’em….
that there is FINE looking green bud!
Ive seen some fine looking bibles, too. Never would have guessed there was murder inside.
lead by false gods ?
Some people. Not me. Not delusional.
Also don’t know how great that bud is. I mean, it looks fine, but, who knows what lay ‘neath the facade. That’s my point. Also, the image is of poor quality.
State laws driving Maine businesses out-of-state. See the potential economic development this creates? Prohibition did not work for alcohol… and look at what the state makes from it now. Maybe there is more money to be made enforcing the law? By whom?
Why are they not utilizing these peoples skills, and Maine could be leading the market in medical marijuana? This is an opportunity for Maine to be a leading exporter.
Eh, Maines not really in a great position (all things considered) to estalbish itself as the national leader in domestic Cannabis production. Its been happening on the west coast since the 70’s. Climate is better there, natural as well as political. Anyone who was serious about Cannabis when Cannabis became serious business a few decades ago either moved to the West Coast, or went to Europe. Too late in the game for us to do anything grandious, however, theres still ground to be broken, in terms of legistlation and establishment of regulatory systems.
This guy killed himself over this… terrible…
is there any proof positive his suicide is a result of this case or is it speculation? i feel sorry for him and his family
He killed himself because he turned over on a bunch of people who clearly were not messing around, not because he got caught with weed.
When in the name of God will all this cease and it will be legal? hat a waste of time, money and lives.
“he and six other Mexicans worked at the marijuana operation”
are the 3 dumbo mainers,Berg, French, Russell, working for the the mexican drug cartel? or are they just their competition?
I would guess they hired the foreign workers for the same reason all of the businesses hire them. They work cheap.
i love weed!
Another waste of tax payers money. Yet another example of the hardships these unfair laws impose on citizens of this country. How archaic. The “witch trials” never stopped.
suicide……..one must wonder?
I wonder if he died from a self inflicted GUNSHOT wound?
All this misery because some entrepreneurs were farming a PLANT? A guy is dead, families are ruined and all that tax money spent to cause all this mayhem and upset…just seems wrong doesn’t it?
If cultivation were legal that would have been a successful Maine business & it could have provided Mainers jobs. The potential taxes that could have been collected off that $9 million dollars would have brought a lot of revenue for the state and federal government. Time to rethink our situation here.
That would only make sense.
“The potential taxes that could have been collected off that $9 million dollars would have brought a lot of revenue for the state and federal government.”
While i am all for the legalization of cannabis, that crop would not have been worth anywhere close to $9M in a legal market.
Nor is it worth anything near 9 million on the illegal market, either. Most people dont sell it wet with dirt included.
Quality grown Maine Green Bud sells from $2,000 to $4,000 a pound on the illegal market so I would say the estimated value is in the ball park.
At 3k per pound they’d need to harvest a pound per plant to make close to 9 million dollars. Not going to happen. I don’t care how sophisticated their operation was. It also is worth noting that no-one is going to sell 3 thousand pounds by the pound, regardless of price.
Since most dispensaries are selling it at a cost three times higher that then street price it would actually be more.
If the state takes everyones property and assets then Maine should be in better financial position and give us taxpayers a break.
If you don’ like the taxes you can giit out.
I wonder what Howie Carr will say about Berg Enterprises now?????
Tune in between 3 and 7 PM Monday through Friday on WVOM 103.9 on your FM dial to find out!
Howie has talked about it on the air and says Berg is a friend and “innocent until proven guilty”.
Given the background of the states key witness, there may be a big issue about credibility when this comes to trial.
Of course, if there’s DNA evidence….
Howie has many,many so called friends. That is if they are providing him with something free or at a deep discount………………….
Who cares if they are? At least Howie is a private business. I only worry about kickbacks to public employees. (I’m guessing most of the LePage administration, like the kickbacks from the so called “online learning” companies, but I digress) Besides, they get free, New England wide advertising out if it. It’s a win/win. I just wish I got the discount to Calhoons…
nothing, absolutely nothing.
Very disturbing to realize that a natural grown plant, carries a higher jail term and fine than anything they come up with for rape, sexual misconduct, and sexual misconduct of a minor! Tell me that our justice system is fair. I am disgusted over this article and the injustices put upon marajuana growers!
Why would you be disgusted by the article? Why not be disgusted by the politics? The story is only the report of what is happening. It is a waste of government time. We should use those resources to stop and treat the Heroin and pill addiction and not worry about the weed.
“[T]he man, who speaks only Spanish, and is in the country illegally . . . . harboring illegal aliens”
Plain speaking from the BDN, for a change. In any other context they’d be writing “undocumented” or “undocumented workers”.
I find it interesting that those who choose to alter their thought processes through drug use want the rest of us to do so; that takes much of the onus off them.
It doesn’t take a person on drugs to see that saying “please stop persecuting people who want to use weed” is not even close to the same as your statement.
but you have no problem with the religious freaks who alter their thought processes with fairy tale beliefs and want us all to as well.
STOP ! wasting our tax money with cases like this. A plant given to us by a kind and loving God should not be illlegal. It’s time for Maine to lead the way, and be the first state to legalize. Tax revenues and jobs for Northern Maine are needed. Research WHY marijuana is against the law, you may be suprised.
Industrial alochol lobbist for one.
and big pharma
And the paper industry.
Yup hemp would put a big hurt on their production.. Prob what this land owner saw coming ?
Why does the State of Maine allow the Federal Government to come into Maine and arrest its citizens?
Because they can.
“Multiple efforts to reschedule cannabis under the Act have failed, and the United States Supreme Court has ruled in United States v. Oakland Cannabis Buyers’ Coop and Gonzales v. Raich that the federal government has a right to regulate and criminalize cannabis, even for medical purposes.”
Somehow I have more sympathy for the small Downeast guerrilla gardener who is trying to make ends meet by growing a pound or so than a bunch of fat cats trying to get even richer by doing something illegal on a massive scale. That’s irrespective of whether or not marijuana should be legalized.
Washington County, Drug Capital of Maine.
No one flew over this area in all that time to see plants being cultivated in the open? Does that strike anyone else as strange?
It seems appropriate that the “corporation” involved in this mess also has been involved in buying forest land, clear cutting it, and then selling it as “improved” property for years.
Karma!!
They cut down some trees. They also planted a couple thousand of them. I dont see the issue.
You probably don’t “get: the idea of karma either.
and your thoughts on that are ??
What definition of Karma are you referencing? Regardless, I get it, but I don’t really believe in it. Reincarnation or things going and coming around. Its silly. Things only go around if you make them. Bad things don’t always happen to bad people. Lots of bad people get everything they want.
I was actually making a light hearted joke, man. I do not approve of the clear cutting of forest land nor the harvesting of Old-Growth forests or whatever.
Man is a curse and that is why Karma is silly. How badly we all must have messed up in a previous life to be in this shituation.
The goons in blue gotta protect those corporate profits. After all you can legally be a full blown opioid addict-no problem, and even die from it no problem.
http://www.examiner.com/article/a-safer-choice-marijuana-use-rises-prescription-use-declines
Hmmm, I didn’t realize ‘the goons in blue’ wrote the laws. Last I looked, the goons who did wear a variety of colors. You seem to be laying the blame on the wrong doorstep.
Last i looked , the 2 times when NH had pending legislation to legalize medical cannabis, the goons in blue turned up in force at the state house public hearings to testify against legalization. After all it might cut into their overtime.
Good link thanks.. Will be interesting come November ?
Wow, facing a sentence of up to life in prison. I’m not condoning their actions, but how is that type of punishment justified when murderers and rapists are serving far, far less time than that!
no
no
first i wanna say R.I.P to Scott MacPherson… if we replaced the “marijuana” with “pine trees” people would be scratching their head going what,why? (not saying that loved ones of him aren’t saying this anyways) people really need to educate themselves on marijuana Prohibition and take all the propaganda fed to them through doctors(that are being paid by pharm reps to push their new drugs) media and so forth. the 1% doesn’t want this legal because A LOT of rich wallets would be tightened(and we cant have that! A multi billionaire cant go live the life of a poor millionaire that’s just horrid) Clothing, Pharmaceutics, Logging, and Oil company’s are just a few of MANY MANY others(including our very own government after all unlike tobacco marijuana can be grown pretty much everywhere and that makes taxing and control a tad bit harder to control) that would be directly effected by Marijuana being made legal. It isn’t because of a Right or Wrong thing ,its Business and that’s it. How can Doctors,Hospitals,Pharmacy’s and the pharmaceutical industry compete with a all natural plant that can be used for anything they have a drug for(depression, anxiety,PTSD,ADD,ADHD,cancer treatment,cancer itself!,AIDs,HIV, withdrawals from the Opiates they hook you on,Pain,Stress,low sex drive, in rare cases impotence IN YO fAce VIAGRA! and so on) and doesn’t even have 1/20th of the side effects that these pills give you. How can the paper and logging company’s compete with HEMP(a cousin of the marijuana plant for those of you who don’t know) not only can hemp be made into pretty much anything trees can be made into but here is the real kicker with HEMP vs Trees one acre of hemp will produce as much paper as 4.1 acres of trees also the time it takes hemp to mature is around 4 months before its ready trees can take up to 20 years before they are ready…hmmm what sounds better to you?(side note our forests are being cut down up to 3x faster then they can reproduce doesn’t sound too good for trees in the next 200 years does it!) or for those who believe in the “Green House Effect” HEMP and Marijuana plants breathe in 4x the amount of CO2(Carbon Dioxide) that trees do now IMAGINE if it was everywhere LEGALLY could it possibly end the “green house” effect as we know it? im not claiming it will but look at the facts people what i just shared is only a small dot on the map of ALL THINGS good marijuana and hemp can give us. I won’t even touch the government’s stupid control of it and their reasoning if you want more info on it i HIGHLY(pun intended) recommend you do sum excessive research on the matter(not only would i go to Pro-Marijuana sites but i’d also go to Anti-Marijuana sites as well we all know there are two sides to a story and most times the truth is often right in the center i do think that if MORE people use the internet as a tool to educate themselves on this stupid law that is holding us back as a country and millions of NON violent “offenders” are flooding our jails(another BIG profit here in America but that’s for a different time)…the truth is out there… we all know what happened in the 20’s when booze was made illegal it didnt work then and doesn’t now. inform yourself then react…no one person can change the world but if we work together and THINK for our selfs rather then reading into “their” propaganda not only will the world be better off but so will mankind as a whole…good day
Great post.
Jack Herer’s “The Emperor wears no clothes” is a great read for information too.
i remember reading that back when i was a teenager kudos on the book reference
Holy run-on sentence, Batman! You should realize that writing like yours doesn’t do much to persuade anyone that marijuana doesn’t harm the brain of regular users.
I agree that it’s a real shame that this young man committed suicide over this, and I also think that legalizing marijuana might be an OK idea if there was some reliable way to test drivers for degree of THC intoxication. But given the carnage that drunk drivers cause each year, the last thing we need is even more widespread use of yet another legal and common recreational drug. The problems our society must deal with from legal alcohol use is bad enough without adding another drug to it. You can argue that legalizing marijuana and the more widespread use that would lead to would cause less problems than alcohol does and you’d probably be right, but it’s way too late to put the alcohol cat back in the bag so we’re stuck with it. Continuing the prohibition of marijuana use has its problems, but they are less than the problems that would be created by legalizing its use.
While I feel bad for both he and his family that he committed suicide over this, the marijuana laws and penalties for growing it were in place and widely known long before he made his choice to go into large scale cultivation. He made his choice to get involved with this business in a big way, and was happy to reap the benefit$, but then ultimately couldn’t live with the downside when that time inevitably came. Sad that he didn’t make better choices.
I feel a need to remind you, you don’t know the facts and are
basing your last paragraph on an assumption that Scott reaped $
benefits, and had anything at all to do with this operation. We really
don’t know the truth. Just because a child molester in prison is given
immunity to give this scenario doesn’t make for reality.
Just saying,
you can’t believe everything you read in the Bangor Daily. Shame on Judy
Harrison for neglecting to use the word “allegedly,” in her first
paragraph. Sounds like her integrity got compromised somewhere along the
line in order to sell a paper and now causes debates based on hearsay. I’m sure her faulty article it’s not helpful to his loved ones. It’s reassuring that not all humanity is lost in reading several comments regarding condolences to Scott’s family and friends.
well sense im not writing a college essay and only just typing my views out i dont give a rats a** if i dont have a coma here period there run-on sentence here…if you know the English language you will get my point otherwise then maybe the person who dont understand it should stay in school dont ya think?…what are you the grammar police? how many edits do i need Robin my homosexual sidekick(not gay bashing after all you are my side kick im all about EQUALITY ;) ) … and you CLEARLY know nothing about the effects of marijuana on the brain… and the worst part is you have the resource at your finger tips in fact if you can read this…go to
http://norml.org/library/item/marijuana-and-driving-a-review-of-the-scientific-evidence <— One Source that shows you arent up to par with science of ganja and my FAVORITE http://stopthedrugwar.org/speakeasy/2008/jan/11/truth_about_driving_when_youre_h <– heres a GREAT quote for you
"Although acute cannabis intoxication following smoking has been shown to mildly impair psychomotor skills, this impairment is seldom severe or long lasting. In closed course and driving simulator studies, marijuana’s acute effects on psychomotor performance include minor impairments in tracking (eye movement control) and reaction time, as well as variation in lateral positioning, headway (drivers under the influence of cannabis tend to follow less closely to the vehicle in front of them), and speed (drivers tend to decrease speed following cannabis inhalation). In general, these variations in driving behavior are noticeably less consistent or pronounced than the impairments exhibited by subjects under the influence of alcohol. Also, unlike subjects impaired by alcohol, individuals under the influence of cannabis tend to be aware of their impairment and try to compensate for it accordingly, either by driving more cautiously or by expressing an unwillingness to drive altogether. "—– So what was it you said again man? im tooo high
It took 60 feds a week to harvest 3000 plants? That’s 50 plants per fed…at 10 plants per day for 5 days, are you sure they were just harvesting it?
Any way you look at the resources they use and the result they have on the trade, they’re an absolute failure. Any way you add up the numbers, they’re ripping the taxpayer off. The corruption is pervasive.
The person who tipped off the police has blood on their hands.
So do the POT users
Regardless of one’s opinion of marijuana, the fact is that it’s ILLEGAL with the exception of specific guidelines. It’s my opinion that the laws could have been changed years ago except for the fact that being stoned gets in the way of thinking straight and accomplishing tasks.
You think so? I think cell phones and the internet get in the way of thinking straight and accomplishing tasks.
as everything they read on the intenet is true right :-/ like the chick that gets a “French” model a date for the night hahaha
The state police may want to investigate a little further before they conclusively decide that Scott MacPherson committed suicide.
How do you know they don’t know all about it — think Rod Hotham’s last ride.
These guys will probably do more time than the triple homicide guy did for stabbing a guy in the neck. Doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to me. Stab someone or grow some plants hmmm…great justice system.
Hayes and MacPherson Timberlands include thousands of acres , throw in all their assets and Maine should be able to pay down the state debt.
What is “MacPherson Timberlands?” I can google a McPherson Timberlands but find no reference to a MacPherson Timberlands at all. The McPherson Timberlands I am aware of in Hermon, Maine has a long history of being a reputable business and should not be smeared by this if they are guilty of only having a similar name to the the man who committed suicide.
I do not smoke weed (my company tests us, and I make a good living, so it’s not worth it). Nor do I have any intention to do so in the future. But, I mean, who cares? You will never convince me that it’s worse than liquor, or as addictive as hard drugs. A few of my friends burn, and having watched them I would say I don’t want to see them drive. If there was a good, non-invasive way to test a driver for weed intoxication I would say legalize it. Of course, that brings up a lot of questions like under 18? Over 18, Over 21? What age is legal? ect. In my mind, if a boy/man can go to Iraq and fight, he should be able to light up. Again, I speak with no experience, but I don’t really see the fights or silly actions that booze brings on. Other than don’t smoke and drive, I’m in.
Arkancide? (e.g. Vince Foster, Ron Brown, James MacDougal …)
The only problem here is that this means that more will be imported or smuggled into the country and the farmers in the countries south of us will make a profit while our farmers set in jail at our expense.