Elk Grove and Natomas aren't the only neighborhoods targeted anymore for indoor pot farm growing operations. Seems the pot growers are expanding into other Sacramento neighborhoods and upgrading their pot farm operations.
I last wrote about Sacramento's indoor pot farms in September of 2006 and the Elk Grove pot house busts in September of 2007. But it ain't over yet.
Police arrested six suspects Tuesday and raided several homes. The police say the growers probably learned the hard way that neighbors in Sacramento and Elk Grove will report suspicious activity if the homes have boarded-up windows or black curtains over them. So the growers moved their operations instead into three-level homes, making sure the upper floors appeared occupied, and set up their pot farms in the lower level.
According to the Sacramento Bee, the arrests and pot busts involved homes in Sacramento, El Dorado Hills, Lincoln, Elk Grove, Cameron Park and Placerville.
A special agent who heads the Sacramento office of the U. S. Drug Enforcement Administration said indoor pot growers could potentially harvest 2,000 pounds of pot a year and, selling at $4,000 a pound, the illegal operation could produce an annual income of $8 million. That's astounding.
Think of the good old days for a minute. Isn't a pound 16 ounces? So, here's a math question you won't hear asked in grade school: If each ounce of pot sells for $10, how much is a pound of pot worth? Answer: $160. Not that I have any first-hand knowledge, mind you; I grew up in the 1960s, which means I can plead the Fifth. I'm just saying that inflation has certainly pumped up the price of a pound of pot, from $160 to $4,000. That means an ounce of pot has jumped from $10 to $250. I'm way out of touch with this world, I suppose.
$4,000 is more than most real estate agents make on a $150,000 bank-owned sale these days. Of course, I'm not suggesting that real estate agents bail out of the lucrative real estate business and become criminals or that any agents have switched professions. This comparison is simply for illustration purposes, so you agents who are reading this, don't send me hate mail. If you do, remember, I know how to contact the special agent of Sacramento's DEA.
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Elizabeth Weintraub is an author, home buying columnist for The New York Times-owned About.com, a Land Park resident, and a Land Park real estate agent who specializes in older, classic homes in Land Park, Curtis Park, Midtown and East Sacramento. Weintraub is also a Sacramento Short Sale agent who lists and successfully sells short sales throughout the four-county Sacramento area. Call Elizabeth Weintraub at 916.233.6759. Put 35 years of real estate experience to work for you. Broker-Associate at Lyon Real Estate. DRE License # 00697006.
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We have this going on too. Obviously we're kind of known for this and had a recent Federal bust on a large commercial operation only a couple of months ago. One question though - how many of these operations hide behind the 215 card?
Elizabeth, it's amazing people still do this stuff. It reminds me of college students in their dorm rooms. I guess nothing should amaze me in the world these days.
Elizabeth
Wow, totally unreal.
Just kidding, hope all is well. Kind of looks like poison ivy.
A lot of those people get busted because they use hydroponic units that emit excessive heat.
When you fly over them they stand out like a sore thumb.
Homes are not supposed to exceed 85 degrees in temp year round.
Hence, the infrared imaging maps itself. Not that I know anything about this stuff; just reading.
Sincerely
Tom Braatz
Hi Jessica: I had to Google 215 card to see what it was. I'm not certain there is enough money in that market to motivate these people, but I honestly do not know.
Hi Gary: College kids run $8 million-dollar operations in their dorm rooms? Man, did I go to the wrong college.
Hi Tom: I wonder if those infrared thingies would pick up heat from just one floor? Because these homes had operations in the basement / lower level. It's amazing what reading will teach you, huh?
Holy Cow! I stumbled across a TV show called Weeds and though it was a joke, but I guess in CA anything is possible. I grew-up on a farm in Virginia and the Sttae conducted fly-overs looking for illegal crops, but I never thought it was an indoor issue.
Elizabeth - So that's what it looks like. You learn so much here on the Rain... :)
Hi Elizabeth! -Informative & funny. My favorite things in a post. That's a ton o' cash but I suppose you can't spend it in jail? KM
Ah, the good old days,....I remember when our tenants just grew pot in the closet of their rental property, only to be discovered by my husband who was refinishing the floors. $4,000 a pound? wow, times have changed!
This is interesting stuff. No wonder there are so many dealers. I ran my blog about shoes on the power lines, two pairs. Someone said it was a sign of drug dealers. Now there are three pair up there! They must be trying to advertise more heavily.
$4,000 a pound? Good Lord. Here I thought my $80/bottle of scotch was bad. Geez.
Hi Jane: Hey, I watch Weeds every week. Mary Louise Parker is fabulous. It's a hilarious show.
Hi Debi: Next you'll be wanting me to post a picture of a joint, I suppose.
Hi Kristin: You could spend it to keep yourself out of jail.
Hi Debbie: I found shoe boxes of pot in a house I was showing in Tahoe Park last summer. Not that I was looking in things, but hey, the closet reeked when I opened the door, so I was trying to find the source of the odor. I told my clients they better not try slipping any bags into their pockets. Little did I know each bag was worth $250! But I kept my mouth shut. What people want to do is none of my business.
Hi Barbara: I think somebody is pulling your leg or looking for you to donate a pair of shoes to the cause.
Hi Jesse: Pretty amazing, isn't it? I don't imagine there are many pot farms in Alaska. Well, not outdoors, anyway.
Wow,
With that sort of income, no matter what you do, people will be doing it anyway, How harsh is the punishment for that?
I am not even sure criminalizing it is a good idea
When Elk Grove was hit a year or so ago with many homes that were actually pot growing operations, the houses weren't usually being lived in.
The difference in these latest group of busts, is that people were actually living in the properties, so as to not alert the neighbors. Everything appeared like a normal family home.
Hey, Jon, I'm with you.
Hi Myrl: So, now, I guess one never knows. It pays to be on your toes and question new neighbors!
Sorry about that Elizabeth - I keep on forgetting that in some areas (215 "Medical Marjiuana" card) this is becoming the norm. My apologies.
Oh, that's OK, Jessica, no need to apologize. Think of it this way, I picked up a new lingo!
I guess it's good lingo to know (215 only applies to California). Yeah we're progressive. LOL
Amazing Elizabeth, sounds like that show WEEDS has brought a whole new business to CA.
All the best!
No... not many outdoors but we do have a fair number of folks growing it in their basements. Right now the problem is meth... which is infinitely worse than pot.
We use to say, "There goes the neighborhood." But now we can truly say, "The neighborhood has gone to POT."
We use to say, "There goes the neighborhood." But now we can truly say, "The neighborhood has gone to POT."
Hi Jessica: We have a dispensary over on X Street and 14th. At least that's what my husband tells me.
Hi Kevin: I think Weeds is supposed to be filmed in Mexico now.
Hi Jesse: Meth is a horrible problem. We had a meth lab in Midtown blow up a few years ago.
Hi Myrl: Ha, ha, well, only certain neighborhoods have gone to pot. :)