What do you all think of this?

[Sivafae]

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/lear-asset-management-marijuana-raids-mendocino-california

They wear camouflaged uniforms, bearing military-style insignia. They ride helicopters over the forests of Mendocino County, Calif., on the state's north coast, equipped with firearms, where they cut down illegal marijuana. But they aren't the army. They aren't even the police. They are Lear Asset Management, a private security firm that is attracting a lot of attention for the work it's doing -- and even perhaps some work it hasn't done

KCBS in San Francisco described them as "mysterious men dropping from helicopters to chop down" pot plants. Rumors swirl in the area's marijuana community about heavily armed men choppering onto their private land and cutting down their marijuana plants without identifying themselves or answering questions about who they are. Lear has become a boogeyman of sorts for a certain population in northern California.

But they aren't hiding. Paul Trouette, Lear Asset Management's 55-year-old founder, spoke with TPM for more than 30 minutes earlier this week to describe what his company does and why they do it. They see themselves filling a void that law enforcement cannot. Trouette at one point invoked the Pinkertons -- the private detective agency notorious for, among other things, violently busting unions and chasing Wild West outlaws -- to demonstrate the historical precedent for what they're now doing in this county of 88,000 on the edge of the California Redwoods

On one hand, there is a great need for law enforcement because criminal growers are taking over private land, often threatening owners or even booby-trapping private land for their crop. On the other, we have a private security firm doing what the police should be, perhaps veering in vigilantism.

What say you?

[tridim]

1. Legalize it. Problem solved in one second. nt

[Sivafae]

3. Not so sure that would be true.

I have been thinking about this for a while...and I am wondering if California legalizes it, then what are the black markets going to do? What will the cartels turn to due to the loss of revenue? Or would they simply continue because after all, they will have land that the owner can not keep control over and now, *Tadaa!* it is legal so why change this plan and pay rent?

I really don't think it will be that simple because the problem isn't the pot, it is the hijacking of property to grow the plant. Do you honestly think that the people growing the plant illegally and hijacking someone else's private property will then suddenly go to that property owner and say, "Hey, sorry about all the booby traps...So uh, hey, can we legally use your land now and pay rent?" Or will they simply change crops (Hello Heroin!)?

I think your solution is way more complicated than you think it is.

[arcane1]

2. If they are on private land with permission, then I suppose it counts as "security" work

Though I think post #1 sums up the situation nicely.

[Journeyman]

4. Some of the growers cause tremendous damage to the people, land and waters. . .

Fertilizers and chemicals used without thought, water diverted with no regard, public lands used for private profit, boobie trapped lands putting people at risk -- there's a whole slew of problems related with illegal growers. A private army isn't the approach to use to resolve the issues, but the issues do have to be resolved. To echo tridim somewhat from upthread, Legalize it and most of the problems will resolve themselves.

[rustydog]

5. Sic em on Cliven Bundy