BY MARY JANE FARMER
HERALD DEMOCRAT
Growing marijuana for his own use apparently wasn't a legal explanation for a Sadler man, 47, on Tuesday. More than four pounds of marijuana was allegedly found inside his home on Tuesday morning, and he was jailed on a charge of possession of marijuana between four ounces and five pounds. The suspect posted $2,500 bond on Wednesday.
The Grayson County Sheriff's Office acted on an anonymous tip which said the caller believed there was marijuana growing outside a home on Brook Lane. Narcotics Investigator Errin Luton said several deputies went to the house, knocked on the door, and when they got no answer, walked around to the back of the house to knock on that door.
What they saw was a marijuana plant growing near the back door. The resident arrived while the investigators were at the house.
The resident declined to let the deputies inside to search. The illegal plant in plain sight gave them probable cause, and so, Luton explained, they obtained a search warrant.
The search uncovered about four pounds of marijuana. The resident told said, according to Grayson County Sheriff's Lt. David Hawley, that he was only growing it for himself, and he was experimenting with a less-usual packaging method -- using a Seal-a-Meal which enclosed bundles of marijuana inside a vacuum.
Some of those were in one-pound packages and included buds. There was other marijuana was packaged using the more conventional method -- zipper plastic baggies. Investigators also chopped and seized the fresh marijuana outside, and found marijuana drying in the storm cellar.
Luton said the marijuana was what is commonly called "skunk weed."
Investigators also found a sealer, boxes of heat-seal bags, scales, five handguns including a .44 magnum revolver, several .22-caliber automatics, and a .410-gauge Snake Charmer compact shotgun.
They were all loaded, Hawley added, and there was a supply of ammunition also seized.