Discovery of 3,000 marijuana plants closes down 10 Freeway for hours
The Los Angeles Police Department found 3,000 marijuana plants in a warehouse south of downtown L.A. on Saturday evening.
The incident shut down a section of the East L.A. interchange along the 10 Freeway west at Santa Fe Avenue for several hours, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Other surface streets were also closed around Santa Fe and Sacramento Street.
LAPD officials told KTLA News that up to 20 people were detained at the scene.
"As a result of that investigation, [officers] found thousands upon thousands of marijuana plants inside including growers, lights and fans," Commanding Officer Matt Blake told the station.
ALSO:
Pot farm discovered inside Santa Ana warehouse
Man who reported marijuana stolen from home won't face charges
--Shelby Grad
Photo: LAPD bus outside warehouse where pot was discovered. Credit: KTLA News
EDITOR'S PICKS:
Eventually the various levels our retarded GOOBERnment will finally realize that they can't keep ruining peoples lives, because they "might" ruin there own life. So why do these badged GOOBERnment prostitutes want to tie up traffic and inconvenience so many people?
Posted by: El Nochero | March 13, 2011 at 09:47 AM
How stupid. No one was harmed. But we shouldn't be surprised at this squandering of our tax dollars. The cops shut down the entire city just to bury one of their own.
Ken Camp, Los Angeles
Posted by: Ken Camp | March 13, 2011 at 10:55 AM
What a waste of government resources...
The answer is simple...eliminate the market, eliminate the criminal element. We (the USA) are to blame. As soon as we decriminalize drugs (especially marijuana), the profit that attracts criminal enterprises (and the violence) will disappear.
Interestingly, people point to the Netherlands as the model of a country that successfully deals with drugs...but the BEST example is Portugal:
http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1893946,00.html
While their exact approach may not work perfectly here, it certainly would be a good starting point to find a solution to help us with a terrible problem...
Posted by: Marcia Twane | March 13, 2011 at 11:10 AM
So, this was worth closing down the freeway and inconveniencing thousands of drivers? What a ridiculous waste of police and public time.
Posted by: gab | March 13, 2011 at 11:10 AM
just make it LEGAL
Posted by: otis | March 13, 2011 at 11:14 AM
hourts? La Times needs to hire some editors.
Posted by: j | March 13, 2011 at 11:27 AM
The horror continues. Images from the 1920's of cops breaking up barrels of beer comes to mind. The nonsense of trying to control what people want becomes more and more futile. It's an herb. It grows in the ground and has been around for thousands of years. While this country has a medical system dependent on billions of dollars through prescriptions and doctor bills, the authorities find time to harass, arrest and destroy those who wish to grow something for their own pleasure.
Get the government out of our bedrooms, out of our gardens, out of our medical cabinets. Let them be concerned about things they have never been able to do, like protecting America from highjackers and protecting Manhattan from a flying missle driven by one of them.It is pathetic.
Posted by: Robert Harper | March 13, 2011 at 11:42 AM
what a ridiculous reason to close the freeway on a saturday evening.
thanks for the inconvenience
Posted by: johnqcitizen | March 13, 2011 at 12:01 PM
who cares, it's just weed. stop the damn waste of money and resources with this stupid, endless war on drugs. enough!
Posted by: Jack_Meoph | March 13, 2011 at 12:09 PM
I seriously doubt many of the taxpayers who have been greatly inconvienienced by this would regard a raid on a marijuana grow house as a sufficent justification, especially considering that many of the street drug now being sold are confiscated by cops in drug raids and then wholesaled to drug dealers.
Posted by: upwinger | March 13, 2011 at 12:29 PM
It's waaay past time to legalize, regulate and tax this business model. It's a plant that can never be eradicated as long as humankind still exists on this planet.
Posted by: mansterEZ1 | March 13, 2011 at 12:32 PM
Thousands of plants, twenty employees... hundreds of thousands, if not millions of dollars in revenue. Let's see...
The state could TAX the stuff, and all of those cops, CHP and other law enforcement personnel could go right up the street and deal with some real crime in East LA or South Central.
OR... We the tax payers can LOSE MONEY paying for all of those cops, district attorneys, prisons, guards, etc etc etc.
I'm so glad that in all of its infinite wisdom our government has decided to focus very limited resources on trying to get rid of a weed that can be grown anywhere and sold at immense profit.
Hey LA Times staff. You folks did a GREAT JOB exposing the fiscal nonsense not only Bell, but also in the LA community college district. How about turning all of that hard hitting, investigative journalistic power on the "War on Weed"? I'm sure the state has wasted more money than Eisenberg and Rizzo combined. I know they have certainly failed to protect the fiduciary interests of the tax payers.
Posted by: David | March 13, 2011 at 12:42 PM
I will never mind being held up on the freeway in order to keep illegal drugs off the market. All people need to do is get a prescription. ANYONE can get one.
Posted by: Criminy | March 13, 2011 at 12:44 PM
...what was the reason for the freeway closure....?....a whiff of weed for commuters or better yet, stop traffic, whiff the weed and everybody feels good!....makes no sense! ...where do these nincompoops get their credentials for assinine decisions???
Posted by: don keyhote | March 13, 2011 at 01:06 PM
sorry folks, pot will NEVER be legal in this country.
the police unions, lawyers, prison bureaus, hospital/drug rehab facilities all have a huge stake in terms of money making , that they will do everything and anything to see that their cash cow keeps giving
Posted by: schlock | March 13, 2011 at 01:18 PM
Gee, i thought it was a real emergency.
Posted by: Ray | March 13, 2011 at 01:20 PM
ANOTHER REASON TO LEGALIZE IT (POT) REGULATE IT, CLOSE DOWN THE STATE DEBT, ALONG WITH SIGNIFICANT CRIME REDUCTION, LEST COURT COST FOR TAX PAYERS!
Posted by: joe s | March 13, 2011 at 01:24 PM
This is, without a doubt, the STUPIDEST reason for shutting down an entire freeway, particularly the 10, that I have ever heard in my life.
Posted by: GMK | March 13, 2011 at 01:27 PM
This pot was probably going to be sold to any of the hundreds of dispensaries in LA anyways... What a complete waste of time...
Posted by: Sarah Ashley | March 13, 2011 at 01:43 PM
Whomever decide on all the closures was high.
Posted by: Dave Smith | March 13, 2011 at 01:47 PM
Havent you noticed that there are alot of marijuana busts but not too many
METHANPHETAMINE OR COCAINE BUSTS?
WONDER WHY?
Posted by: THE A MAN | March 13, 2011 at 01:50 PM
Get a clue....how embarrassing. Glad I moved far away from that madness of a city to a place where people live and let live.
Posted by: planetnymph | March 13, 2011 at 01:54 PM
I heard somewhere that over 20% of Medicl Marijuana Dispensaries in L.A. are owne/operated by current, former and reitred police officers. They most cetainly do know a cash crop when they see it. And with their police powers, it's always nice to come up with product obtained by using public capital - taxpayer funds.
In two years this product will be legal for recreational purposes, why all the fuss?
Posted by: It's A Cop's Business | March 13, 2011 at 01:55 PM
They should do the same to RiteAid Walgreens Walmart and every pharmacy out there, they kill more people every year than marijuana does!!!
Posted by: Rx Dealer | March 13, 2011 at 02:05 PM
Unwarranted freeway closures and stupid cannabis busts... two of the police's most annoying misuses of power wrapped into one!
It is way past time to legalize cannabis.
Posted by: Hakatau | March 13, 2011 at 02:14 PM