ALLEN COUNTY, Ind. (WANE) —Back in the 1980s and 90s during the federal government’s war on drugs, the Indiana State Police formed the Marijuana Eradication Team.
The state’s effort that started in 1985 was sprawling with each county having its own team.
Nowadays, there are three troopers assigned full-time to the task of eradicating the plant from the state, according to Sgt. Wes Rowlader, public information officer for the Indiana State Police Fort Wayne District.
In 2024, the Marijuana Eradication Team shut down 229 illegal grows on private lands and 50 found indoors. More than 41,000 cultivated plants were seized and destroyed, the plants valued at an estimated $330,000. More than 1,000 people were arrested
It was an average year, Rowlader said.
The ISP relies on aerial surveillance and, of course, tips are essential.
“A farmer or someone may find a grow on their property and, obviously, it’s not theirs,” Rowlader said. “So they report, ‘hey, this is on our property, but we don’t know what’s going on’.”
It’s what Rowlader called “just good police work” besides the public calling in with information.
“Our drones are specifically for crash investigation reconstruction. The other departments may use drones that we’re working hand in hand with,” Rowlader said in an exclusive interview Thursday with WANE-15. “But for the Indiana State Police, we do have helicopter and aviation sections that will assist at times. Sometimes, we’ve used National Guard resources to help with that.”
The task is not without its dangers. Although none were found this year, illegal growers use booby traps to keep thieves away, Rowlader said.
“You’re talking about somebody’s livelihood. On some of these, they’re growing this marijuana to sell or distribute. It’s funds that they’re wanting to receive, right? So our guys coming in and chopping it down and burning it, they don’t like to see that. So there’s obviously danger as there is with a lot of police work.”
Legal marijuana in surrounding states doesn’t affect the state effort here to eradicate cultivation.
“Even though other states have made it legal, it doesn’t change it here at this point in time,” and even if the law does change, chasing illegal grows would continue.
Edible stats on the information included here only pertain to edibles seized during arrests for eradication, Rowlader said. Edibles are often purchased through the mail or from a nearby state, according to Rowlader.
“The marijuana arrests that we see on a daily basis on traffic stops or (other ways), just the possession of marijuana, either they’ve gone to another state and bought it or (through) an individual seller that’s doing it illegally here. It’s still illegal as we said,” Rowlader said.
If it’s an arrest, most likely the trooper will not take the individual to jail, at least that’s the case in northeast Indiana, according to Rowlader.
“They say they’re arresting people and everyone automatically assumes that arrest goes with jail,” Rowlader explained. However, if it’s just a small amount, the trooper will write a citation and leave it up to the courts to set a court date and adjudicate the matter.
“If we find someone with a small amount, generally what our troopers do is the long form or a probable cause affidavit and that person will have a court date at a later time,” he explained.
State marijuana arrest data shows that possession arrests haven’t changed much from 2008 when the available statistics start. There were slightly more than 11,000 arrested for possession in 2008; more than 10,000 in 2014 and about 9,800 last year.
A marijuana advocacy group Safe and Regulated Marijuana doesn’t weigh in on illegal grows, but says making marijuana legal makes sense for safety reasons.
“Polls show over two-thirds of Hoosiers support legalizing and regulating marijuana like alcohol,” the website states. “A regulated market ensures marijuana is tested for potency and contaminants, protecting consumers. Clear labeling also helps buyers know exactly what they’re purchasing.”
Safe and Regulated did comment on arrests: “In 2023, law enforcement in Indiana arrested an individual for marijuana every 60 minutes. (National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS). Regulating the market will free up law enforcement to focus on hard drugs and violent crimes.”
H/T: wane.com
