State signs on again for federal pot erradication program

Top state law officers say they’re signing up again for a national program that targets marijuana growers. Special Agent Sean McCullough of the Division of Narcotics says they’ll focus again on getting you to help them find and destroy marijuana. He says they won’t do new billboards, but they are putting out brochures with a hot-line number to encourage people to call. McCullough says the feds are giving Iowa around 70-thousand dollars again this year for the program. He says they need the public’s help because of the lengths growers go to hide their plants. He says they usually try to hide marijuana in a grove of trees or in cornfields. He says people in urban areas do what they can to grow the pot inside without being seen. McCullough and his fellow agents seized over 41-thousand plants across the state with and estimated worth of over 20-million dollars. McCullough says their main effort has focused on methamphetamine labs, but he says they also feel it’s important to do what they can to cut off marijuana growers. He says marijuana is a a “gateway” drug and studies show a lot of people who smoke pot then move on to cocaine an meth. McCullough says you can help by calling the toll-free number: 800-532-0052 if you suspect someone is growing marijuana. McCullough says you can leave an anonymous tip to help law officers.