Hurricane Bill isn’t the only worry the marijuana growers of Martha’s Vinyard have this week. The arrival of the president, his family, and his vast retinue of retainers and servants, has apparently put a crimp this year’s planned ganja harvest on the wealthy little island off the coast of Cape Cod.
Over at out sister publication, The Washington Examiner, reporter Kiki Ryan advises that the marijuana growers of Martha’s Vinyard may be adversely affected by the visit of the Obama family. “The word was that some of the island marijuana growers actually had to get their crops in early,” said Mike Seccombe, a senior writer for the Vineyard Gazette, in an NPR interview Sunday morning. “They thought the helicopters scoping the place out for the president may have had something to do with drug enforcement.”
The Obamas en route to Martha's Vinyard vacation (AP Photo/Stew Milne)
As Seccombe explained, Saturday marked the arrival of “40 [sport utility vehicles] full of guys in dark suits,” security preparations not seen in visits by previous power players like President Bill Clinton. But all the security may remain in hiding for most of the trip. “We don’t expect to see quite as much [of Obama as we did of Clinton], who loved to get out and about. ... According to the briefing we got from Robert Gibbs, the Obamas have no scheduled public engagements.”
According to The Martha’s Vineyard Times, a Massachusetts State Police helicopter search last Summer yielded more than 265 marijuana plants from locations around the Island. State Police Sgt. Neal Maciel estimated a full grown plant has a street value of approximately $1000. "There is no doubt that the plants we recovered were planted with the intent to harvest and distribute," said Sgt. Maciel. "This year's sweep was very successful, because we deprived some individuals of the chance to sell a lot of narcotics. This wasn't just your neighbor growing a plant on their porch, this was an organized effort to cultivate marijuana for distribution."
The aerial search, conducted using an unmarked Air National Guard helicopter, has become an annual summer occurrence that often generates stares and questions from Islanders curious about the low flying aircraft. Thus far this year, there is no indication that the presence of so many Democrats on the island will have any inflationary effect on the retail price of marijuana.
Last year's marajuana bust. (Martha's Vinyard Times Photo by Alex Bell)
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Comments
My advice for any pot grower busted by Obama's security force is plead not guilty and read Hank Rearden’s speech to the court from Atlas Shrugged in your defense. The day has passed when twelve of your peers could be found who would be willing to lock you in a cage for decades because you had the courage to grow, trade, or consume the most useful plant on earth. Hand out Fully Informed Jury Association leaflets at the courthouse on the day of jury selection. Jury nullification is bound to play a central role in ending cannabis prohibition!
Free Marc Emery!
Install Ron Paul!
Go Kopbusters!
LOL, I love the term 'street value'. My beat to crap dodge pickup has a street value of 50K, the dealer however will only offer me $3500 on a cash for clunkers trade. How come my last house appraisal was not the 'street value'? I remember when the Boston DA said an ounce of potwas worth 6-700 dollars, all I could think was 'man, you got ripped off I don't care how good it was...' Seriously, police, as a concerned citizen, I urge you to focus on violent offenders and stop waisting my tax dollars on an impossible prohibition. Just look at the first prohibition ever (if you follow the bible anyhow)… 1 man, 1 woman, and an apple with god as the police; you think you can win the war on drugs? What a joke.
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