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Large marijuana grow house in Riverside home upsets neighbors

Published On: 01-31-2017 in Category: addiction, drug bust, marijuana

Recently, there has been an unprecedented growth in the number of unlicensed marijuana growing houses across almost all the American states. Interestingly, most of these operations run clandestinely within residential neighborhoods, which is proving to be a nuisance for the neighbors. These grow houses are usually operated by unscrupulous growers who manufacture large quantities of the drug in order to sell them at high prices in different countries.

In November 2016, residents of a Riverside neighborhood expressed serious concerns over a marijuana grow house operating in the vicinity. Apparently, nearly 600 marijuana plants were being cultivated in the area that extended right up to their backyards. However, since the operation was legal, no arrests could be made.

Meanwhile, the people living in the neighborhood were frustrated over the stench emanating from the grow house and feared that such operations might lead to a decline in the real estate value of their properties. Many residents were also intimidated by the likelihood of home invasion by armed men to procure marijuana plants.

Although the police had raided the grow house operations about eight months ago, they neither made any arrest nor seize a single cannabis plant. “This is an omnipresent problem, it’s not just this neighborhood,” said Sergio Diaz, Riverside Police Chief. “Just as in other places, the city of Riverside doesn’t have an ordinance in place to prevent it.”

An ordinance to regulate the locations of legal marijuana grow houses is being deliberated in the Riverside City Hall, however, the residents of the neighborhood will continue to face challenges until the law comes into force.

Rising drug menace in Riverside County

Built on an immensely complex network of highways, a nondescript suburban setting and a boundless expanse of barren desert, Riverside County has emerged as the single largest drug trafficking distribution center in the U.S., according to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Between 2012 and 2014, the Riverside DEA Office, which also includes the San Bernardino County, had seized nearly 6,500 pounds of meth and 770 pounds of heroin, which is nearly one-fourth and one-tenth of the meth and heroin seizures, respectively, made by the whole of the DEA nationwide.

Apparently, the smuggled narcotics from Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel is transported into different stash houses in the county to be distributed in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Canada. “We are almost like the Costco warehouse of narcotics dealers, shipping this poison across the country,” said Frank Pepper, assistant special agent in charge of the Riverside DEA Office. “The amounts we are seeing are unfortunately on the rise, but we’re also seizing more, getting more of this poison off the streets,” he added.

Battling the menace of addiction

Addiction is a growing problem in the United States and Riverside County is no exception. If you or your loved one is grappling with an addiction to drugs, it is time to seek medical assistance. The Riverside Drug Treatment Rehab Center will help you get one of the best addiction treatment programs customized to your needs. Chat online with our specialists or call us at our 24/7 helpline number 951-221-4018 for more information.