A Forest of Marijuana

[Wilbur]

A Bettendorf man has been arrested after federal authorities found a forest of marijuana in the basement of his rented house.

Charles Brumbelow, 42, is charged with conspiring with others to manufacture marijuana, according to court documents. Local police and federal agents raided his home Wednesday, finding 176 marijuana plants, according to court documents.

He appeared in U.S. District Court in Davenport on Wednesday and was ordered held without bond until his next court hearing Monday.

The basement operation had two growing rooms and one drying room, with supplemental lighting, ventilation systems and automated irrigation and fertilizing systems, according to court documents. Electric bills for the house were about four times more than those at surrounding properties.

Brumbelow told officers he rented the house from a friend, and they had been growing the marijuana since June, court documents state.

The landlord wasn't identified in court documents and hasn't been charged, said Al Overbaugh of the U.S. attorney's office in Des Moines.




Newshawk: User - 420 Magazine
Source: Gazette Online
Pubdate: 5 January 2007
Copyright: 2007 Associated Press
Contact: The Gazette | Local Iowa News, Sports, Obituaries, and Headlines - Cedar Rapids, Iowa City
Website: The Gazette | Local Iowa News, Sports, Obituaries, and Headlines - Cedar Rapids, Iowa City

 

[eXoticbeautyJ]

I think it is absolutely ridiculous that people can face so many charges over a pretty much harmless plant. Maybe the legalization of marijuana, right now, is too much to ask for; but goddamn't decriminalize it!!!

 

[smokemagnet]

all this over a plant if he had been growing tomatoes in his basement whats the difference

 

[Gorillabuds]

The difference is that a grow of that size is without a doubt above and beyond personal use amounts but then again so is mine. 15 plants is gonna give me a fuckload of buds, more than I can possibly smoke. I absolutely do NOT sell so I'll sure in the hell have a lot of happy friends with the handouts though! There's a lot missing from the story. I don't think an electric bill alone can be evidence enough to obtain a search warrant. People can be using electricity for all kinds of shit like hot tubs, hot water tanks and electric heaters which would drive their bill through the roof. I wonder what else they were up to. Were they using the money from selling the grows for illegal activities? Drug dealing really is a shitty business to be in and that's why I grow my own and why I support full legalization of all drugs. If you could go to your doctor for a prescription for the drug of your choice, there wouldn't be any street level dealers selling you shit weed or other things. You could also grow all you wanted and since it would have a very low street level value, the crime end of cannabis cultivation would disappear. It's a known fact that bikers and gangs build huge grows to support actual illegal activities. I got busted a loooong time ago for 4 plants, now THAT was ridiculous. Busting someone for 176 plants is a bit ridiculous but WHY were they growing so many? If it was a grow that supported a MMJ farmacy, I'm totally against the bust. If it was to support a biker or gang activity, I can't say as I'm totally against it. There's a reason why MJ is not legal. FOLLOW THE MONEY! Keeping it illegal makes police departments a TON of cash. When they bust a grow operation or a dealer, they KEEP THE MONEY! It also justifies the DEAs and cops jobs from the start. The fact remains that the most damaging drug of ALL drugs is the one that's legal, ALCOHOL. In fact, alcohol contributes to more deaths than all other drugs combined. A lot of laws make no sense at all. I wonder if tobacco is considered to be a drug since nicotine is far more addictive than opiates...hmmm......

 

[Gorillabuds]

To Gorilla buds post.. I agree entirely.
I Saw my Doctor a few weeks ago, and I told him "i'm a drug addict"
he asked me "what drugs are you addicted to?"
and i told him "tobacco"

There just isn't anything he can give you to curb the cravings as far as I know. I keep chipping the opiates now and then and the jones that comes when they run out is NOTHING compared to trying to quit smoking cigarettes so I feel for ya, bro. Will power...pure will power....

 

[Keith Lake]

I CANT FRICKN STOP!!!!!!!!!! thats my Problem..
I'm seeing him again tomorrow, and am seriously going to push, that he gives me something that will shut off my "nicotine receptors"

I quit (again) 6 months ago. I do the cold turky light program. One patch cut into quarters, using one quarter per day just to avoid the suffering while I get used to not holding and lighting the damn things. The 4th day I leave the patch on for 3 days.

The problem is this works so well for me, that about every two years I start rationalizing that I can smoke a few hear and there. Next thing you know I'm sucked back in.

My buddy did really well on the Welbutrin (actually the reason I'm responding). He said it completely stopped his cravings and was recommending it to me, but I didn't want another chemical to help me off another chemical.

I wish you luck my friend - butts are truly ass

 

[Lilstinky420]

I guess im lucky. Ive been smoking on and off for like 7 years and I can quit cold turkey and go months without a ciggerette no problem. It's not that i'm trying to not smoke, more prolly the reason of being a cheap ass and not wanting to pay 4$ for a pack. Ive known countless people that have tried and tried and tried to quit, but can't seem to make it more than a few days.

The same goes for alcohol, it's been like 3 weeks since my last drink, but I could prolly go for 3 years as long as I had weed. weed is my addiction. I wish I was an alcoholic though because it's alot cheaper than being a pothead.

 

[Keith Lake]

<avatar>

World class avatar you've got there Mr. Lilstinky

I love it