I thought this was an interesting video by John C. and I'd like to share it on the forum. Since most of us start our fig trees inside our homes this relates to us in some way. John C. of GrowingYourGreens explains how his house was recently searched by the police for growing vegetables in his home.

I hear ya, John. Don't blame you one bit for being pissed. We tend to take our rights for granted too often.

Frank

He might want to read the search warrant to see exactly why the police and a JUDGE felt there was probable cause to execute a search warrant. Judges don't sign them lightly and take it seriously since it is an exception to your constitutional rights. Was it overzealous police or was it a neighbor that lied and provided false information that seemed to be substantiated by other circumstances.

I don't think the police set out to look bad or to harass John as most of them really do have the publics best interest in mind and really do have better things to do than waste time on a non productive bust.

It's not like they are having trouble finding crime! 

That's a good point, Charles.

Something like this was in the papers a few weeks ago and the families little kids were wide eyed and afraid.  Evidently grow lights being left on all night cause suspicion due to marijuana growers.  Too bad. 

How to stop the suspicions is probably hard because marijuana growers do their best to hide what they are doing.  The articles I read stated that law enforcement keeps an eye on grow lights being sold, and who is buying them.

Weird world we live in.

Suzi

The insane War On Drugs has caused all of us to loose a huge amount of rights in the search and seizure area. For those of us who were adults during Reagan's presidency we experienced a massive loss of protection. From no longer needing probable cause to pull over vehicles to random road checks to the loss of farm privacy, etc. etc.

I do blame the police for some of it. For example if you're headed up or down I95 and you get pulled over -- for no other reason then how you or your vehicle looks, the police will ask if they can search your car -- they will give you the choice of giving them permission or waiting for a court order and the dogs. These search orders are based soley on the opinion of the officers who can target whoever they want. But the real blame falls on our elected officials who no longer write the laws. Instead they write policy and unelected bureaucrats define and implement the laws -- by the thousands. Virtually everything is now illegal in one form or another these days and this has happened very quietly.

Most people are shocked to find out how little protection they have now. And unfortunately their education usually starts after something like this happens. Trying to fight the police in cases like unwarranted searches in amazingly expensive and the "little guy" has virtually no chance finding justice.

We are not the "Home of the Free" any  longer. To quote George Bush,"The Constitution is just a f&^%$#%g piece of paper."

More venting later I'm sure.

Blah, blah, blah.....  What Constitutional Rights do you actually think that you have?  Our Constitution/Bill of Rights is now nothing more than an abstract concept.  Look around you?  Everyday more of your rights are usurped, taken away.  Righteous indignation means nothing.

Tell me this:  At what point will LAW ENFORCEMENT stop and say..."I swore an oath to defend the Constitution of the US including the Bill of Rights.  People have a right to privacy and the presumption of innocence.  I therefore, will not execute fiat gun confiscations, or, searching for pot growers...or, whatever" ????  Will the Police ever say no, and risk insubordination charges?  The Police will do what they are told to do.  (Check out the "Oath Keepers" website).

Folks...they can justify, and do whatever they want, and then YOU'LL have take them to court and spend YOUR money challenging their actions, illegal searches, seizures, confiscations, etc. 

America also has their version of the GESTAPO.  Your expectations are too high.  Get real!

Frank

Actually Frank, and Mike, a lot of this depends on what state and county you happen to live in.  Here in Arizona, several of our sheriffs and police chiefs have stated publically that they will not enforce  new gun laws which they deem to be unconstitutional.  Additionally, open carry and concealed carry are both legal in this state with no permit required.   They still issue CCW permits, and the training is good to have, especially  if you've never had any, but it is no longer required.   They stopped requireing permits here two years ago, and you know what?  The incidence of violent crimes in this state has dropped.

As for all this talk about our rights?  Ctizens of the United States of America have more freedom and more rights and more safeguards from government intrusion than what is afforded citizens in any other country in the history of the world.  Many of us on this forum have risked our lives to protect those rights.  Some of my old partners and friends have in fact died protecting those rights. Spend some time in other countries and you may appreciate what we have more fully.

Dave,
I think your statement about our rights was true 30 years ago. I have spent time in many other countries (over 3 dozen) and have lived in 2. We are no longer any where near as protected as our constitution meant us to be. Under the abused umbrella of protecting us from terrorism and drugs we have lost even certain fundamental rights. I have very close friends in quite a few countries and the rights of American citizens is a topic discussed quite often when I travel as the world rightly sees us going down a dangerous road. I have started 2 groups to look at our local county and state's rights and most people wrongly believe we still have the rights our fathers did.
CCW in AZ aside, I'd like to see any example of one of your police chiefs going up against the feds. Confusing gun laws and search and seizure laws doesn't in any way represent what rights we have still intact. As you know CCW has rightly spread and has been followed by a lowering of violent crime. As much as folks see gun rights as a hot button issue it's not the area where we've seen massive changes in what the federal government can do with the powers they've hijacked over the last 30 years.

Do we have more freedom today, than we had 50 years ago?  Are there less rules and regulations today than in the past?  Now we live in a world of security cameras, covert surveillance, bugging, listening devices, electronic scanning, and tracking, intrusive, embarrassing, security checks at airports, drone spy planes, and laws that will control not only your healthcare decisions, but that will also control every aspect of your life.  The list goes on, ad nauseam.  Total control is the prize of all Progressives.  You give them carte blanche permission to micro-manage your private life when you re-elect them, time and time again.

Many years ago, then Senator, Thomas Dodd, CT. ( father of Chris Dodd, CT. who together with Rep. Barney Frank, orchestrated the Fanny Mae and Freddy Mac fiasco) asked the Library of Congress for an English translation of the 1938 Gun Confiscation Act that was used by the Nazis for gun control in Germany.  The sweeping, 1968 Gun Control Act, that was passed into law in The United States was modeled directly, almost vebatim, from the law that allowed the Nazis to confiscate guns from private citizens.  Senator Dodd, went on to serve many more years in Congress.  So, taking an Oath of Office means absolutely NOTHING.  In 1961 John Kennedy signed the Freedom from War treaty with the UN that would allow for complete gun confiscation, thereby ending our Second Amendment.  Not too long ago, his darling-of-the-press, daughter, Caroline wrote a book about the Bill of Rights, and went on all the Oprah Winfrey-type shows to talk about, and hawk her scholarly book.  Do you think she exposed her perfidious father?  The uncritical press gave her the obligatory cover, and so, no questions asked.  The general public, and low information voters, still remain ignorant of this treason.

We may be better off than citizens of other countries, now,.... but can anyone connect the dots?

Frank

Interesting video. none of us, including the original poster, were actually present for the incident.
It did not sound to me like they had a search warrant, I believe he said his friend allowed them in.
I won't touch on all the other issues, like gun control, or we would crash Jon's server.
I also don't use medicinal herbs (only beer) but I will certainly concede that the war on marijuana ain't working, and they should just legalize it (and tax the hell out of it LOL).
But, as a retired police officer, I will add a slightly different perspective, hopefully without stirring the hornet's nest too much.

This is basically what the police do. They get a complaint and go check it out, in person.
In this instance, a neighbor reported an illegal grow operation, which is currently a crime, the police went and knocked on the door, got consent, checked, it was unfounded, and left. 
It's not tv or the movies, folks, it's good old fashioned "wearing out some shoe leather".
Was it alarming and annoying having five men looking around the house, I'm sure it was!
But when there's a complaint, the police show up, in person, and investigate. That's how it works. They don't have satellites, and that CSI computer where they have all your info in 2 seconds is too expensive for police departments. On a side note, DNA takes a long time, like weeks or months, at least in the northeast, not 30 seconds (my CSI pet peeve).


One major suggestion, if this happens to you and you are not sure who is at your door, is to call 911 or your local police to confirm their identity before you open the door. Police impersonation is rare, but it has happened.
Whether you give consent is a personal decision. 
just my 2 cents.

How many innocent people are killed each year because of drunk drivers?  Alcohol is legal.  How many more innocents will go to their slaughter when all drugs are made legal?  Getting hit, head-on, by a car full of "stoners" is no different then getting hit by a drunk coming home from an office party.  The coroners will be working overtime.

Food for thought.  I'm out.

Frank

we have lost most of our rights , are constitutional rights are constantly being attacked, our cell phones are being tracked and taped in , camera on every corner, drones flying above our house ( some of them have X-Ray & and can see inhouses)and I won't be surprise if they saw her garden with a drone ( and if they suspect they can get a warrant), they have vans now wondering in the streets scanning you while you walk without your consent,TSA searching us in airports AND now in stadiums and some train stations, there are telling us what to eat and what is good for us, can't protest freedom of speech any more without being arrested or beaten down, they are fighting to take "all guns" , and there is lot more which i won't get into it, and all this in the name of freedom.
Our constitutional rights are being attacked right now and 99% of Americans don't care