Missouri has an unwelcome distinction as we move through the fall harvest season.

It’s fall….It’s been dry….Corn and bean fields have turned brown…..making it easier to find Missouri’s top cash crop….

And the Highway Patrol is busy arresting those who harvest it.

More people have been arrested in Missouri for growing marijuana than have been arrested in any other Midwestern state. The Patrol’s state coordinator for marijuana eradication, Captain Ron Walker, says Missouri, the nation’s acknowledged meth capital, is likely the marijuana capital of the Midwest. He says there are a variety of reasons—Missouri is a crossroads; it has good soil for growing the crop. It also has recorded more arrests by far than any nearby state.

But he says Missouri does not compare with the west coast states.

Walker says pressure from law enforcement and economic opportunities are driving more marijuana operators indoors. Competitive pressures also are creating a more dangerous climate. Walker says officers have seized 163 firearms in making arrests this year–more than usual.

 

Download lBob Priddy’s story (:60 mp3)