Released on: October 26, 2008, 11:34 pm

Press Release Author: Wannamaker & Associates

Industry: Law

Press Release Summary: Marijuana grow houses are quite controversial in many parts
of the US, and even in Austin, Texas. The legal issues dealing with grow operations
are quite complex and often involve significant issues about people's right to
privacy.

Press Release Body: While marijuana is considered to be an illegal substance and
thus punishable by certain fines and imprisonment, there are other issues before
these that go straight to the core of people's basic right to privacy.



Arrests for people growing Mary Jane for their own personal use and in grow houses
are on the increase. What tends to happen is both federal agencies and state law
enforcement personnel band together to eradicate growers. It's how they work
together that has often been the subject of some serious controversy. Wannamaker &
Associates, an Austin, Texas law firm with offices in Houston and Dallas, Texas is
no stranger to such controversy either.



The increased interest in operations of this nature is largely due to the jump in
potency of the end product. Just recently Mexican law enforcement officials
discovered a new strain of marijuana with a higher potency and virtually impervious
to chemical annihilation. The higher the buzz potential, the greater the value of
the drug on the street.



Since a typical grow room yields 25 to 30 pounds of cannabis every 3 - 4 months,
there's a lot of bucks to be made selling it, hence the desire by the law
enforcement community to shut down this avenue of commerce.



Even though the penalties for growing, possessing and manufacturing quantities of
weed are less severe than for more dangerous illegal drugs, the issues over how the
cases are worked up and prosecuted raise basic human rights concerns. These basic
human rights and their protection is what drives Wannamaker & Associates, an Austin,
Texas law firm with offices in Houston and Dallas, Texas.



Possession of over 100 plants, usually prosecuted in federal court, most often
receives a minimum mandatory sentence of five years. Possession of over 25 pounds
clocks a three-year mandatory sentence. Having a competent and highly qualified
attorney represent these cases is essential and may mitigate the length of time
served.



Major issues in drug busts like this relate to weight of the marijuana, search
warrants, consent to search and knowledge of the property owner. One other key issue
revolves around violation of the Fourth Amendment, which deals with a person's
reasonable expectations of privacy on his or her own property.



For instance in cases where the local police use drug sniffing dogs on someone's
property without a search warrant, this violates the Fourth Amendment.



In addition, controversial methods for getting information about possible grow
houses, such as searching the energy utilities data base for people whose energy
consumption is considered too high, is perilously close to being an out of control
crusade.

While it may be illegal to grow and traffic in marijuana, it is just as illegal to
use questionable methods to obtain information to police the practice. No one knows
this better than Wannamaker & Associates, an Austin, Texas law firm with offices in
Houston and Dallas, Texas.



To learn more, visit http://www.wannamakerlaw.com.

Web Site: http://www.wannamakerlaw.com.

Contact Details: 9280 Bay Plaza Blvd Suite 706
Tampa, FL 33619
1.813.600.3017