KXXV-TV News Channel 25 - Central Texas News and Weather for Waco, Temple, Killeen | Pot problems come back to the poor economy

Pot problems come back to the poor economy

by Henry Rosoff

CENTRAL TEXAS - There was another major pot bust earlier this week in North Central Texas.  This time it was in Navarro County and it has people wondering if this is the next big illegal cottage industry.

It was the second major bust in as many weeks and the fourth this year.

A sheriffs deputy familiar with these types of busts and sheriff's offices said all this pot growing comes down to simple economics. 

"People are out of work and it's easy money," said Lt. Stephen L. Girsh, a Deputy Sheriff with the Hill County Sheriff's Office.

But making that easy money is not easy as those bust by narcotics agents two weeks ago outside Whitney found out.  Authorities broke up a $400,000 home- grown marijuana operation.

"There [was] several plants outside in plain view," said Hill County Sheriff Jeffrey T. Lyon of the bust.

The most recent marijuana bust was just under Highway 31 outside Trinidad, TX. Sheriff's Deputies said the river and surrounding brush under the highway, made the location a perfect place for growing and hiding pot.

"The outdoor ones they've got to be able to hide this," Girsh said.  "We saw the one in Navarro County right next door that was in a very secluded area."

But the area was not secluded enough.  The Navarro County Sheriff's office seized 2,500 plants, grown just outside a town of barely more than 1,000 people.

However, Girsh is not sure all the big busts will stop people from trying to turn pot into cash in tough economic times.

"It's how long [they] can get away with it until [they] get caught," Girsh said. 

According to authorities, increased patrols and getting tips from neighbors are other reasons for the recent pot busts.

However, everyone News Channel 25 spoke to stressed that the up tick in pot growers comes back to the economy.