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Uploaded: Friday, June 19, 2009, 5:26 PM
Updated: Monday, June 22, 2009, 8:46 AM

Palo Alto cops pluck $15 million in pot plants
Suspects in foothills marijuana grove escape, but police are investigating

Posted by PA Hills resident, a resident of the Palo Alto Hills neighborhood, on Jun 21, 2009 at 9:41 pm

does anyone know where in the palo alto foothills this occured? I live here and am a little concerned.

Posted by LegalizeIt, a resident of the Old Palo Alto neighborhood, on Jun 21, 2009 at 10:04 pm

there goes $15 million that would eventually be laundered back into the system.

there goes $15 mil that could help increase consumption, boosting output and reducing unemployment.

Posted by M, a resident of the Old Palo Alto neighborhood, on Jun 22, 2009 at 3:22 am

To the comment above...you can't possibly be serious...the money would be used to buy more marijuana.

Posted by Mayfield Child, a resident of the Green Acres neighborhood, on Jun 22, 2009 at 11:15 am

No, the money could have gone back into the City of Palo Alto's ledgers as income.The confiscated lot could have been sold to the Marijuana Pot Clubs- which sells it to users who have verified doctors prescriptions. Someone wasn't thinking..........

Posted by amazdresident, a resident of the Downtown North neighborhood, on Jun 22, 2009 at 12:16 pm

where exactly was this found?? i live in palo alto and would of never thought something like this would be found here..foothills???? arrastradero area? foothills park?? where was it?

Posted by Sarah, a resident of another community, on Jun 22, 2009 at 2:00 pm

Where? Anywhere people don't regularly go. They tuck the crops into off-trail areas. In those areas, they destroy the habitat by cutting down foliage, spreading out rat poison, and they booby-trap it. This has been going on in many parts of the Foothills for many years and is occasionally reported in the papers.

The sheriff's do fly-overs to find them and then wait until the crop grows large so the crime will be more substantial.

Posted by Concerned, a resident of Los Altos Hills, on Jun 22, 2009 at 3:12 pm

"Citizens ... in open space preserves" are asked to report suspicious behavior? How about the people who live out here?

You want suspicious behavior? Here's some: On a daily basis cars full of male teenagers, 2-3 at a time, driving into Foothills Park and emerge 30-40 minutes later. My kids and their friends tell me the park is a known pot-buying rendevous spot.

The other night we heard what sounded like gun shots. It's a matter of public safety, to be told if something like this is going on in one's neighborhood.

Hello? Palo Alto? Oh shining city by the Bay. Yes, we know you are perfect and there is no racism, no swine flu, no depression among our perfect teenagers, and certainly no drugs being sold in our parks. Oh when will you awaken from your dream of perfection?

Posted by LAH Res, a resident of Los Altos Hills, on Jun 22, 2009 at 3:27 pm

I just called PA police and they said it wasn't them and they can't tell me anything about it. I need to call the Santa Clara County sheriff. Calling SC sheriff they confirmed it is their baby. So ... kinda funny that PA Weekly gives PA cops top billing for the bust.

Posted by LAH Res, a resident of Los Altos Hills, on Jun 22, 2009 at 5:32 pm

Curiouser & Curiouser - I think the folks on the PAPD and SC Sheriff have been smoking their haul. On having my call returned by someone from SC Sheriff, I learned that this was not SC Sheriff's investigation, it was Palo Alto's investigation!

I can truly say I have gone full circle, flushed down the proverbial rabbit hole.

The SC sgt. was oh so apologetic in explaining that he was not at liberty to release any information whatsoever about the crime, and that perhaps I should call the PAPD.

And if I hear gunshots again like we did the other night in our neighborhood, we should be sure to call them and they'll come right over to investigate. That's assuming I'm not killed by a stray bullet before I make it to the telephone.

What a load of cR*p these so-called public service agencies are.

Posted by your mother, a resident of the Professorville neighborhood, on Jun 22, 2009 at 11:19 pm

LAH res,

With whom did you speak with at PAPD? If you just called dispatch, did you consider that maybe the dispatcher you spoke to wasn't working at the time of the bust and knew nothing about it?

Furthermore, why should they disclose any information to you? For all they know, you're the marijuana farmer just trying to get info.

You are the one filled with a load of CR*P. You over-privileged, un-appreciative POS.... just because you live in the Los Altos Hills, it doesn't mean you get special treatment.

Posted by Amazdneighbor, a resident of the Charleston Meadows neighborhood, on Jun 23, 2009 at 12:21 pm

HAHA this is too funny...and i agree with "concerned" from LAH, wake up palo alto, drugs are being sold in your face and a lot of ppl think palo alto is perfect..well apparantly not if we are findnig marijuana famrs in our backyards...

and i agree, why would the sherrff disclose information to ppl calling..DUH!

and I didnt know foothills park was known for pot buying..i go there for a picninc..to relax...but apparently its not that safe after all..

do the rangers know?? maybe they shoudl know about this bc its getting out of hand!

Posted by ellieg, a resident of the Palo Verde neighborhood, on Jun 23, 2009 at 12:35 pm

This whole problem, including getting revenue for the state and the economy in general, can be solved by making marijuana a legal crop. This has been advocated for many years and it is finally getting some mainstream attention. Marijuana is not as addictive as tobacco and used by some people for medical purposes to alleviate the pain of cancer and other problems.

Making it legal to grow and buy would solve a lot of problems that are caused by the sort of activity that was found in the foothills. Plus it would save a lot of valuable native habitat that is being damaged under the current system.

Write or call your legislator and ask him or her to support the legalization of marijuana and add millions to state revenue to help balance the budget.

Posted by YSK, a resident of the Old Palo Alto neighborhood, on Jun 23, 2009 at 1:24 pm

People who live in glass houses in Los Altos Hills should not throw stones.

So a pot farm was busted. All you people do is bitch about law enforcement. Tell you what, call the PD and put your address on a 'No need to respond to this address list.' I object to our cops having to respond to the aid of such rabid whiners.

There's been pot farms up there since the '60's. Remember 'The Land' and that other commune up there? The dances at the barn? Life goes on, people act out, and law enforcement will do their jobs.