YOUR COMMENTS

You must look at marijuana in relative terms instead of its villification by our government. All our drug laws are rooted in racism, first prohibiting "negroes" from drug use because the drugs supposedly caused them to rape and pillage with abandon.

Relatively speaking, caffeine is more dangerous than marijuana and the person who said that marijuana burning contributes to global warming was engaging in hyperbole. It is beyond me, and I do not smoke, how the government can tax and subsidize cigarette selling and manufacture while simultaneously incarcerating its citizens who grow and sell a much less harmful product. Cigarettes by themselves or alcohol by itself kill more people per year than ALL the illegal drugs COMBINED! And they say we have a "drug problem." Please.

Drug addiction is, like alcohol addiction (there is no such thing as "alcoholism"), is a behavior problem that needs to be treated when it becomes destructive. The mistake is to confuse USE with ABUSE. All use is NOT abuse and the terminal cancer patient, recreational user, and chemotherapy patient are mostly users. However, the medical establishment is reluctant to embrace marijuana because big pharma doesn't make a dime off of this effective medicine. They would rather have you take an Easter Basket of different color pills with ghastly side-effects than smoke a joint to ease their pain, nausea, or nervousness. Oh, but they will give you some MORE drugs to take care of those pesky side effects!

I would think it is reasonable to take the power away from law enforcement and put some of those billions of dollars to treating those who do get addicted to both LEGAL and illegal drugs. Ask yourself why the Netherlands, who have legalized marijuana, have a LOWER per capita marijuana use than the United States and perhaps this will start to make sense. Someone needs to stand up against these senseless arrests and wasting of taxpayers' money on enforcement and incarceration.
- Jeffrey Wrobel, Mattapoisett, MA

This will make a huge dent? I don't smoke but I still know 20 people I could call to get it. Do we even know if the guy was selling? Yes, he had a lot of plants but growing now means you're a dealer? The guy was renting a duplex and living a below middle class life. This is a "big fish"? No idiots, this is a fish that knew how to google and learned how to manufacturer things at home. Or a fish that learned things from bigger fish.

But hey, let's put our crooked cops in business for a few more years and lock up a guy that is harmless to society. (Yes, I said harmless. If your kids are out buying marjiuana from anyone maybe you should think about how good of a job you have done as a parent.) So let's take the small fish and put him in jail, thicken his gills, release him back to the wild and THEN watch as he turns into a hardened criminal. By criminal I mean people that are raping, killing or hurting other people.

The only person that got hurt here is the neighbor that got hit by a mirror. And that had nothing to do with marijuna. Focus on the bigger issues people and our entire nation may survive.
- Katelyn, Nashua

My concern about pot is that it will harm the enviroment. According to The Save Earth Center at the United Nations pot is a major green house gass producer. Pot creates the highest level of green house gasses and carbon monoxide that any other burnt plant. Al Gore has stated that legalization of pot will further global warming. Be responsible anf give it up.
- Mitch, Manchester

The discussion about whther or not to legalize marijuana has drawn the ire of many in these commnts.

I do not smoke pot and I am an American, not a republican, democrap or libertarian. I work in the medical field and have spent my life studying biology and chemistry. I earned my PhD from Dartmouth in pharmacology in 2004 and want to correct some myths (unless you can get Jamie and Adam to test them on mythbusters!)

Marijuana is NOT physically addictive. That is, if a person comsumed large quantities of marijuana on a daily basis for many months or years, they could stop cold turkey with no physical withdrawls. Physcological, maybe, but not physical.

Every drug has a "risk/benefit profile" That is a ratio comparing the benfits of the drug(s) to its known risks. The risk/benefit profile for marijuana is certainly no worse than that for alcohol and that for tobacco. How many of you opposed to legalizing marijuana drink alcohol or consume any type of tobacco?

Marijuana does not typically lead to an increase in crime. Compare that to alcohol, which is a known risk factor for domestic violence. How many times have you personally read or heard about crimes asscoiated with alcohol.

Marijuana can impair your judgeent and reaction time, though no where near alcohol's ability to do the same.

marijuana is very capable of helping people with certain diseases. perhpas best known of its effects is to stimulate hunger. While those who smoke marijuana are probably laughing at what they call the "munchies" those people who have lost all desire to eat due to chemotherapy or certain conditions, benefit greatly from this effect.

Not all Marijuana is used for drugs. The US Navy still uses hemp ropes on some of their ships. Hemp is the same plant as marijuana (cannabis), but has a much lower THC(active ingredient) content. Ironically US farmers are required to obtaina DEA stamp in order to grow hemp. The DEA refuses to issue the stamps, effectively outlawing its cultivation. hemp is a multibillion dollar industry and the US excludes its farmers from competing in it.

Marijuana, alcohol and tobacco are ALL "gateway" drugs. It depends on the particular study you loomat, but there are studies that support Marijuana NOT being a gateway drug. If you look at the percentage of marijuana smokers who go on to use other drugs, the number is relatively low. Anti-marijuana literature looks the other way and asks what the percentage of "other" drug users is that also smoke marijuana where the number is relatively high, no pun intended. BE careful of what you read and ask who write it and what their prupose was in writing it.

So, let me get off the sopabox and ask those so vehemently opposed to legalizing marijuana, why are you opposed? Please provide factual data to known risks or dangers of comsuming marijuana. In your response please include if you consume aqlcohol and/or tobacco.
- Michael Layon, Derry

marijuana is legalized and taxed by several countries including america which is netting tens of millions of dollars in states where the drug is currently decriminilized for medical use and a recent study concluded by Dr. Jeffrey Miron, visiting professor of economics at Harvard University. has shown that nation wide taxation of the drug could net upwards of 14 billion annualy p.s. i'm not a libertarian
- Bob, Henniker

I love libertarians who say "legalize and TAX THE HELL OUT OF IT." As if. This is the only situation in which they seem to LIKE taxes, or a least appear to.

I hope no one is fooled by their ridiculous statements. They simply want all things, on demand, without restriction. Just like a baby does (although unlike babies, they want mind-altering drugs. Scary.)

That's a childlike fantasy and has never happened in any country, at any time, and it won't happen here either.
- Michael J., Manchester

The drug legalizers are out in force on this story, aren't they? The logic of their arguments seems a bit ... clouded, along with their judgment. This guy was "just making a living" someone said. True. He was profiting by helping other people get stoned. That's pathetic. Not a gateway drug? A few beers don't destroy your inhibitions and open you up to "new experiences" as much as one joint does. Dope affects the part of the brain that handles one's judgment. Which explains a lot of these comments.

Those pushing "medical pot" today are going to be pushing total legalization and free and expanded availability of pot in your neighborhood next. And after pot, what ELSE will they legalize? These people are a danger to us all.
- Stephen, Manchester

A few quotes from Biff in Canterbury:

"All of this guy's assets will be seized and liquidated, more than paying for any cost of this incident."

Wrong. There haven't even been any charges pressed for distribution or sales of marijauna. They cannot just "seize" your assets without proof they were purchased with money from sales or other illegal activities. It is possible for them to charge him with conspiracy to sell, but that in itself is a completely different animal. And on a side note, you can't get blood from a rock. What if this young man doesn't have any "assets" to speak of? For you to make the sweeping claim that this seizure will be MORE than paying for the cost associated with this incident is a blatant assumption and is down right ignorant.

"Marijuana harmless? It makes HIPPIES!! That's more than enough reason to outlaw it right there."

Once again, the word ignorant comes to mind. Last I checked there weren't loads of "hippies" driving around in Volkswagen Vans with tie-dye shirts and rallying for legalization. The pot smokers in America are average citizens; bankers, doctors, lawyers, tradesmen to name a few (that I can speak of personally).

"Would you go to McDonalds if you could grow your own BigMacs at home?"

This one just makes me think WOW. It's called EATING AT HOME, making dinner instead of going out to eat. The reason McDonald's and many other similar chains are so successful is because of convenience, not because they have some special magical product that consumers simply can't resist. Not everyone would have the money or resources to put into growing their own pot at home and not everyone would choose to do so even if they did. Your comments are probably the most ignorant comments I have seen on any article.
- DG, Bedford

"I think the community should know that this arrest makes a substantial dent in marijuana that (allegedly) would have hit the streets sometime this summer,"


I highly doubt it, dont worry there will be enough black market pot for everyone this summer.
- Shane, Riverdale, NJ

Well then this is really going to upset the apple cart of your logic Brett--I'm actually quite clean and clear of any illegal substances. That is to say, that I haven't smoked anything in quite some time. I'm well-employed and highly respected in my field. I also know hundreds if not thousands of people who are just like me--still employed, doing great, wonderful families, positive contributers to society. And you know what Brett? You and Frank and Brian would all deride them as 'potheads' in spite of this, all because they enjoy a little smoke on weekends or evenings in the privacy of their own homes. You haven't won the War On Drugs and you won't win the war on cannabis.

This kid in Merrimack that just got busted? There are dozens of grow ops in every town and city in NH alone. I wouldn't be surprised if there were 50,000 grow-ops in this state and the police, spending millions, will stumble across maybe 50 tops in a given year statewide.

Draconian laws aren't stopping people from doing what they want to do. This is civil disobedience and the surest sign that the laws need to be revisited. Did you realize that 71% of NH residents are in favor of medicinal marijuana? RI, ME and VT have MMJ laws on the books and the sky has not fallen. MA has decriminalized cannabis and the apocalypse has not come. The time is here for straight, open discussions regarding the War on Drugs and the failed policies of prohibition. Calling people names like 'pothead', leveling false accusations based upon biased government propaganda and using straw men in arguments won't work.

*Dear UnionLeader staff, please allow this rebuttal post to be printed, thank you*
- JB, NB, NH

Brian Farmington is correct. If we want to win this war on drugs we must actually fight it like a WAR! Anyone caught with any amount of illegal drugs in the USA will be killed at dawn the next day, period. This will take a few weeks; once the people see that we are really serious about it they will quit this illegal behavior. Then we must detonate some thermonuclear devices over select areas of Peru, Columbia and Mexico. After the ashes settle we can evaluate the situation to see if any other action will be need.

You win wars by total domination or elimination of your enemy. This is proven by history, look it up. However somewhere back in the 60’s we lost this concept and started a new business model which redefined the goal of war. Anyone here remember the saying “The economy is bad, we need a war”? Well that’s what we have created over the past 40 years, sustained war that we actually do not win because that would be counterintuitive to or goal of sustainability.

Why are we doing this? MONEY! Illegal drug money is as much a part of our economy as the taxes you and I pay to the Federal Government. If you think for one second the Government is protecting us from the deadly effects of drugs with these laws you’re sadly mistaken. If this was the case cigarettes would be made illegal tomorrow.

As a child I grew up with an Alcoholic. Oh the fun we had, too. There are members of my family that think if prohibition of Alcohol had never ended we would have been better off. Maybe we should reinstate Alcohol prohibition, after all think of the harm it causes to the children!

We have two choices. We can live in a free and open society with education as the foundation to a peaceful existence, or we can live in a society that is controlled by the point of a gun. The great thing about this is we have a choice, but making it wisely will be a difficult task.
- JR, Manchester

JB,NB,NH is a prime example of the twisted mentality of a pot addicit. This fool would rather go to jail instead of not smoking pot. We are a country of laws. Without them we have nothing. The burnouts who want pot legal believe it is their goog given right to use this drug. Find the truth, you do not need to get stoned and it is not your right.
- Brett, Manchester

Honestly wasn't there a pot bust like either last year or the year before in merrimack where cops found around the same amount of pot? And also i think that the government should legalize pot. I don't use it but just look at the facts. The pot industry is a multi-BILLION a year industry. Imagine if the government made it legal in small amounts and placed a tax on it. Goodbye recession and hello better economy
- D P, Manchvegas

I can grow my own big macs its called a cow stupid.
- dave, concord

YEAH!! Brian's got it! Let's lock up 40,000,000 American citizens!
- JB, NB, NH

If the government legalized it, regulated it, taxed it, and controlled it's distribution, it would only benefit the country. Pot is not a gateway drug or harmful when used in moderation. It's the true addicts of the drug that give it a bad name. The recreational user, more than you know exist, works a job, pays their bills, and likes to enjoy a little smoke of after handling their responsibilities. If people knew moderation, all things, drugs, booze, foods, etc. wouldn't be so bad.
- Bill, Hooksett

Killing the drug trade can be accomplished very easily with stiffer penalties as some countries have done. 20 years for use or possession of a small amount of pot would be a good start. Life for growing or dealing would put a serious dent in that side of it. Life for possession or dealing any other drug would clean up the mess. If it's a serious problem, let hit it with serious sentences.
- Brian, Farmington

This is funny!
- Rick, Bedford

Total waste of taxpayer money? All of this guy's assets will be seized and liquidated, more than paying for any cost of this incident.

Some ask "Why were the cops there?" Someone was seriously injured. Isn't it more than reasonable for them to at least ask "what happened here?" and to check whether a crime was committed?

Marijuana harmless? It makes HIPPIES!! That's more than enough reason to outlaw it right there.

If it were legalized, there wouldn't be ANY tax revenue because everyone would grow their own. Would you go to McDonalds if you could grow your own BigMacs at home? Well we'd have to have laws to protect the sellers so then people would be getting arrested for growing marijuana without a license instead. Same end result for this bozo under either circumstance.

I don't believe legalization is not the panacea that many people think it is.

Oh, and marijuana IS a gateway drug... to jail!!
- Biff, Canterbury

I don't smoke pot, and I know it's not good for you, but neither is Coca-Cola or McDonalds.

Pot is only a gateway drug, because people have to travel in unseemly circles to obtain it if they aren't "sophisticated" enough to grow it on their roof. If you could buy a J at 7/11 rather than deal w/ criminals it probably wouldn't be a gateway drug.

Dicriminalizing pot is stupid. Just legalize it and tax the hell out of it! We could be making money instead of wasting tax payer dollars trying to stop people from profiting from it and smoking it.
Heroin and meth are ruining our youth. There are widespread epidemics in Southern NH. The people selling Heroin and Meth are the are the creepy pushers McGruff the Crime Dog used to warn us about. Officer Poirier - shut down one of those operations and then we'll give you a big pat on the back! Until then us bloggers will just keep laughing at your efforts.
- MS, Formerly of Kingston

Cops are such a waste of money!
- CG, Raymond, NH

This is NH's finest? Busting someone for marijuana? sounds childish...Where are they bringing in the real criminals (rapists, murderers, theives, drunk drivers)? These are true criminals. These are the ones that belong in prison, not some 'horticulturalist' watering a plant that is for some reason made illegal and treated like he's a terrorist....C'mon police, leave these innocent people alone and arrest someone who may cause harm to me or my family.
- steve, newmarket

John,

You make me laugh. The trio (police, fire, EMTs) are damn near always there, indoors or out, to treat the sick or injured and secure the scene to prevent further accidents to people, so get over yourself already.

Arrested: Maybe a boatload of pot in the house wasn't a good idea after all...we have some real geniuses out there.
- Bill, Milford

As the economy worsens, you will probably see more of this. During the 1930's, people worked in bootlegging, moonshining, and speak easies to make ends meet. Once prohibition ended, no more black market booze, Uncle Sam was the big winner. Think taxes.
- Paul, Bedford

So if it's a medical emergency why do the cops need to be in the house? To direct traffic? Emergency services are saving this person's life while the cops a looking to manifest some probable cause for a warrant. Next time don't call. No thanks, stay outside and off my property and I'll bring the injured person to the hospital myself. Love to see my tax dollars at work. Zeig Heil!
- John, Nashua

I think anyone who grow indoors wishes they could come close to harvesting a pound per plant off a two foot tall plant.
- J Clark, Manchester

This is an outrage! First off all we should not have to obey any laws. Ever hear of freeedom? Second do not dissagree with JB,NB,NH. If you do you are automaticly wrong. According to the FPM [Free Pot Movement]. We could save $7598 billion $ in just one year if all laws were ended. JB,NB,NH is the worlds smartest person , just ask him.
- Frank, Candia

Total waste of taxpayer money. Cops who participate in these types of arrests may be good people in many cases but when they do this they're playing the role of bad guys.
- Dave Ridley, Manchester

is it 4:20 yet?
- Ed, Manchester

Wow this kid is having a bad day. Well to answer a few of your thoughts here, 1LB for 1 plant is a very unrealastic number, one can not smoke the soil. So the 260K incomes is unlikely, but possibly could he own the duplex. Who grows in a rented building? That's just his own silliness. Also as far as the smell maybe they were not smelling the growing goods. He could have possibly just finished smoking as it says they founds pipes and other things. He clearly is a user as well. With his ventilation system he definitely had the smell in mind. I do not think the Merrimack PD made a huge dent in anything though. If they ranged from seedlings to mature plants then we are really talking about maybe 10lbs between now through the end of summer. I think there are bigger fish out there guys. Go find a meth lab or something.
- Michelle, Merrimack

Okay, let me get this right Brian from Farmington:

Seatbelts, yay.
Income tax, yay.
Decriminalization of cannabis, boo?

Your positions on these subjects frighten me.
- JB, NB, NH

This bust will not make pot any harder to get in the Granite State. The only "possible" repercusion would be the price going up if they busted 100 more of these operations. At least the police didn't spend months on this, just a few hours of taxpayer money.
- TRH, Nashua, NH

So now instead of people getting locally produced cannabis which enriches the local economy now those people will be buying their cannabis from either the mexican cartels or the canadian organized crime syndicates (asians, bikers and good old mafia)

Also I think if this guy was really sophisticated he would have had a better system for controlling the smell - carbon filters anyone?
- John B., Manchester

Chief Milligan , a long tenured officer was qouted as saying " this makes a substantial dent " Is he even remotley aware that the people of the U.S spend 112 billion on marijuana "A YEAR" .The American people buy 15 thousand metric tons .(EVERY YEAR} . The worst part is we spend 20 billion ( yearly)attempting to remove 1 /100th of 1 % of the product rom our streets . There isn't a single learned person in all of the world that feels the Marijuana prohibition is at best a joke . He is pulling a drop of water out of lake Massabesic and waving it around going " look all dry now " . Great work now we can all go home . 112 billion !
- Tom Lawrence, Manchester , NH

He couldn't wait for the medical marijuana bill to pass in the state? I feel for the kid, he probably is harmless, but his life will be forever changed now once he goes to prison, he is always in the system. Our taxpayer money is going down the drain, and the state has now problem building more prisons with our money to house non-violent offendors, not harming anyone but themselves....
- Ryan, Nashua

Keep wasting your time busting these operations. You're not going to make the stuff any harder to get.
- TB, Nashua

Ok, lets do some quick math. 130 plants multiplied by $2000 = $260,000. Yet this guy lives in a duplex. The police are overestimating the bust to A.) make them look like heros to clueless citizens B.) increase their own budget for "drug" enforcement C.) continue the scare tactics so our freedoms and liberties are continually undermined.

Thanks McGruff!
- Juan, Dovah

I love how the media like to attache monikers like "sophisticated", "mastermind" and "kingpin" to these cretins who engage in criminal activity and get easily caught! Pi Beta Kappa's they are not. Oh, and the rest of you apologists for the drug users and sellers...go back to getting stoned just don't be a drain on society. Adherence to the law is NOT elective!
- Paul, derry

So the police found a bunch of flowers... What a shame... What a waste of good pot.
- Sheana, Chester

Im sorry but one marijuana plant indoors will NOT grow a pound. He would be lucky to get over an ounce....That's how the cops screw ya as usual.....
- mike jones, derry nh

What a waste of possible tax revenue... If only we'd end this fanatical war on drugs and treat marijuana like alcohol and cigarettes, we'd save money that could be put to better use and we'd be able to increase our tax revenues.
- Dan, Manchester

Making a living the farming way! Now off to jail he must go! And on our dime he's going to get his meals, bedding & clothing.
Way to go!
- Ben Stern, Bedford

Good ole Paul Poirer at it again!! At least he's not busting underage cigarette smokers at Dunkin Donuts. I think he must have had a pot smoker bully him as a child. Way to go... We have one more person off the streets who was doing NOTHING to harm anyone.
- Christina, Weare

Scott, if marajuana is a gateway drug, why didn't they find any other drugs at the property in question? Why are there millions of people who've used marajuana and no other drugs? Why are doctors prescribing it to their patients?
- Jose H, Manchester, NH

Bill in Greenfield,
Just a wild guess but if the scissors and bags were used to cut and store the pot and had traces of that drug on them then maybe they are considered paraphernalia.
- Steve, Hooksett

Joe, would you want that kid living next to you and selling? I bet not.
If you are growing for your own, i can careless, but the minute you start selling bad things will happen.
- jd, nashua

Scott from pembroke

Alcohol nor cigarettes are gateway drugs. You need to move out of your parents house and actually see the world before you spout out anything as ridiculous as that! also, marijuana... not a gateway drug!

you claiming that weed is a gateway drug (which i'm assuming) to "harsher" drugs (crack, coke, meth, heroin) is similar to saying "a child who steals a pack of gum is on their way to murder."
- scott, chichester

Good going! The more of these sources we shut down and lock up, the better. People who need a constant escape from reality with drugs have serious psychological problems and these growers are simply perpetuating the problem.
- Brian, Farmington

Our drug laws are shameful.
- Gary, Manchester

OMG what a big bust!! In reality it is a joke. Not sure why the police try to make this sound like such a big deal when there are a lot worse things going on. I agree it is illegal but in my view that is the problem. The legal drugs alcohol and tobacco cause a lot more problems, death and misery than pot can come close too. As for being a
"gateway" drug time to get the facts and know that is not true. At least in the way people try to make it in to. Just imagine how much revenue pot could bring in during these hard economic times versus the cost incured for the time and effort and court costs this will bring? Imagine how much real crime could be getting solved, the savings in our court and penal system and the resourses that could be freed up!
- Harry B., Pelham

They say that the US is winning the War on Drugs. They also say that 98+% of all pot busts such as this one and the recent bust in Rochester are the result of 'tips'. Imagine how much pot is actually being grown if this is the case. And imagine what the threshold for the idea of 'winning' must be.

Mission accomplished redux.
- JB, NB, NH

Farmer Justin was just making a living.
At least he wasn't on welfare.

Great work EMT's & Merrimack Police. Wonder how many more operations like this are going on??
- Kelly Fall, Manchester

The Profit motive will bring in someone to fill the void left by this loser. This town is saturated with drugs. I know of Middle School kids who have been seen riding their bikes up to cars and making seals in the daylight out in the open. Parents here need to wake up to the fact that this is a blighted community and educate their kids to the dangers of drugs and alcohol and set good examples for them to follow.
- Chris, Merrimack

yay! One more harmless kid, growing a harmless drug, fed into our overcrowded prison system on our dime!
What a waste of taxpayer money.
- joe t, derry, nh

Who believes a pound came off of one plant? This guy couldn't grow the plant properly enough to have a pound off of one plant at " a few feet tall"...I bet the plant weighed "one pound" so therefore it is considered one pound...liars
- Justin D., Derry

This is a home cultivation project. Its pretty hard to blame the Mexicans for this one. What is the hybrid strain shown here? Is is "Merrimack Window Box?"
- Rick Olson, Manchester

Scott, imagine the revenue that could be collected in the form of taxes on the stuff - like tobacco products.
- R, Raymond

Gateway drug BS and you know it. If a person smokes pot, then uses other drugs, he/she is responsible for that, not the pot.

The police think they made a dent? LMAO. Give me a break. A 100 more people are right behind him growing and using. The "War on Drugs" is a joke, a waste of tax payer money and a lie to the American people. But hey they have to justify their existence somehow.

Cocaine, heroin etc, sure, go get those off the street. But pot, you are wasting your time. Let me ask this, we know pot was made illegal, but why is the more important question, Do your homework we are wasting time and money fighting a "war" against a weed.
- ex-cop, new hampshire

obviously not sophisticated enough to contain the odor. nice pinch for merrimack police, but scissors and containers as paraphernalia? we're all guilty of that.
- Bill Brooks, Greenfield

Can't wait to read the comments on this one...
- Bob Watson, Manchester

The title makes it seem that the police busted this "operation" with a 10 year investigation.

I don't smoke pot nor do I advocate it. I believe marijuana is a gateway drug, but so is nicotine and alcohol.

I think it's time for some changes in the law so that law enforcement(not this case) can turn their attention to the meth, coke and herion dealers.
- Scott, Pembroke