Up in Smoke (News articles)
Below is a list of news reports supporting my Up in Smoke Substack. Click that link for the full article!
Alabama
California
2017-Jun Probes continue into mysterious marijuana grows in Yuba County
2018-Aug Eight face charges after Murrieta police find illegal marijuana grows
2020-Mar Chinese National Residing in Fresno Charged in Illegal Marijuana Grow Operation
2021-Oct Over 40000 marijuana plants seized during week 8 of Operation Hammer Strike
2021-Nov 34 arrested and over 33000 marijuana plants seized during Operation Hammer Strike week 10
2021-Nov 204 greenhouses eradicated and 26 arrested during Operation Hammer Strike week 12
2021-Dec Over 23000 marijuana plants seized and 12 arrested during Operation Hammer Strike week 13
2022-Mar 30 arrested and over 46,000 marijuana plants seized during week 26 of Operation Hammer Strike
2022-Mar 73 arrested and over 156000 marijuana plants seized during Operation Hammer Strike weeks 27 and 28
2022-Apr Five arrested in connection to illegal indoor marijuana grow
2022-May DA files charges after massive subterranean pot farm found in Newberry Springs
2022-May Five arrested in connection with underground marijuana grow in San Bernardino County
2022-Jul Barstow police discover illegal marijuana operation, over 4 tons of marijuana destroyed
2022-Jul 64 arrested and over 54000 marijuana plants seized during Operation Hammer Strike weeks 43-46
2023-Feb Months after illegal pot-farm bust in China firm’s Barstow warehouse, questions remain
Colorado
2018-Aug At least eight face charges; thousands of pot plants seized
2018-Oct Four indicted on federal charges after Montezuma pot raids
2018-Nov Five dismissed in Montezuma County illegal pot grow
2019-May Feds, local DAs say raids net hundreds of black market pot growers, many busts in Aurora
2019-Dec How a marijuana network tied to China became a player on the Colorado black market
Illinois
Indiana
Massachusetts
2020-Aug New Springville man charged in alleged marijuana grow house must stay in Mass
2020-Nov Illegal marijuana growing facility shut down in West Springfield 4 Brooklyn men in custody
2021-Jan Fourth Large-Scale Marijuana Farm, With NYC Ties, Is Busted In Western Mass
2021-Jan Two arrested at home converted into pot-growing operation in Belchertown
2022-Feb Four suspects arraigned after marijuana bust at Westfield home
2022-Mar Illegal grow operations may be tip of the iceberg in western Mass
2022-Aug Three men arrested in large-scale Glocester marijuana discovery
Michigan
2022-Mar 6 men charged with illegal marijuana grows in Kent, Montcalm and Newaygo counties
2022-Mar Thousands of plants hundreds of thousands of dollars
New Hampshire
New Mexico & Navajo Nation
2019-Apr New partnership, licensing bring hemp industry closer for Navajos
2020-Oct Official Alleged marijuana traffickers possibly tied to Shiprock hemp farms
2020-Oct Two alleged marijuana distribution cases tied to hemp farm operations
2021-Jan Chinese Workers Turn to US Marijuana Industry as Service Jobs Dry Up
Oklahoma
2020-Dec Shiprock’s former ‘fields of green’ flourishing in Oklahoma's pot-friendly economy
2022-Feb Five arrested including one in Stephens County in large scale drug operation
2022-Feb Law enforcement officers conduct massive raid of black market marijuana issue arrest warrants
2022-Feb Oklahoma agents raid pot farms in multiple counties
2022-Feb Oklahoma Seizes 500 Million In Weed Busts Untaxed Operation
2022-Mar Oklahoma man charged with forging documents for marijuana grow ops
2022-Nov 4 executed at an Oklahoma marijuana farm cops say Suspect arrested in Miami Beach
2022-Dec Man demanded 300K before killing 4 Chinese nationals at Oklahoma pot farm prosecutors say
Oregon
2021-Dec Police make arrests in large illegal marijuana grow and distribution operation near Philomath
2022-Jun Jefferson County drug raids dismantle Chinese marijuana cartel
Pennsylvania
Texas
Virginia
Washington
2018-May US agents raid 17 homes across Puget Sound in black-market weed investigation
2019-Feb Operation Green Jade fallout Courts still juggling Chinese drug-ring cases
2019-Sep Chinese national charged with large marijuana grow operations
2020-Oct Eleven indicted in illegal marijuana trafficking investigation