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‘Queenpin’ mom taken in by police for biggest California marijuana bust ever
A woman from Pacific Palisades, California has been taken into custody by police officers after they caught her growing over 24,000 marijuana plants.
Holy shit.
The woman, 43-year-old Stephanie Smith, has reportedly made millions a month through the amount she was growing, and had 3 properties set in San Bernardino.
Stephanie hasn’t been arrested yet, but police are holding her for questioning.
The whole operation was found to be sketchy after her electricity bill came back as $67,000, causing authorities to investigate.
Apparently, the marijuana plants covered four floors of a warehouse. In the warehouse, there was also a “12-foot metal rolling fence, ‘fortified doors,’ a large concrete wall around the parking lot and surveillance cameras.”
ABC News spoke with police Lieutenant Mike Madden, and he told them that this is the largest indoor operation he’s ever seen.
“There’s just floors with multiple rooms with plants in various stages of the growing process, and it’s a very, very sophisticated operation.”
What’s more, Smith was growing the pot right next to police headquarters.
And she certainly wasn’t alone. She had guards and employees in on the operation as well as an “advanced drip-irrigation system.” So far, 8 other people have been taken in by police.
The eerie part of this whole story is how closely it resembles the Showtime series Weeds, where a mother gets into the cannabis industry illegally in order to provide for her family.
Although marijuana is legal in California, weed growers need to be licensed by the state in order to become part of the business.
Though I am pro-cannabis and cannabis ownership it’s interesting that she wasn’t directly arrested, although her charges state “misdemeanor, jail time and a fine at the state level.”
Hmm… Well, Stephanie, whatever awaits you, I hope you are able to keep hustling in the marijuana industry.
Just, you know, legally.