By Jon Hiltz

 

Last month, French police arrested six men for growing an island of marijuana just off the banks of the Vienne River in Southwestern France. The small uninhabited island called Pinodière is approximately 4 hectares in size and only accessible by boat.

For over a month, local police were receiving tips from people who witnessed an increase in boat activity coming back and forth from the deserted patch of land.

Police initially discovered the cannabis plants when they were in their first stages of growth. Instead of immediately destroying the crops, the police monitored the island for weeks and waited for the plants to reach maturity. Their plan was to nab the crafty cultivators when they came back to harvest their green treasure.

In a (translated) interview with La Nouvelle Republique, one officer said, “At that time, the plants were not yet mature so we waited, going regularly to monitor their development.” He added that they paid particular attention when the crop seemed ready for harvest.

On Saturday, October 10th, the Inspectors Clouseau were watching and waiting for the pot farmers, and sure enough at 6:15 p.m., a dinghy was spotted coming from the island and reaching the mainland near a group of vehicles. Officers said that they suddenly smelled weed as they were moving in to arrest the individuals, who were found with 8.2 kilos of fresh cut cannabis.

Including the cannabis that remained on the island, police seized or destroyed over 90 kilos. The plants had an estimated street value of €80,000 or almost $90,000 USD. The two owners of the deserted property said they were unaware that this Gilligan-style grow-op was happening on their property.

None of the suspects arrested have had any prior issues with the law. The suspects were questioned by police and then set free, with no word if there will be any charges laid. Police have said that they will now regularly monitor the property to ensure that others don’t get the same idea.

A recent Ipsos poll taken in France shows a whopping 84% of French citizens think that cannabis prohibition is ineffective. Half of those interviewed believe that cannabis should be legalized in France.

One day prohibition will likely fall in the French motherland as it has elsewhere around the globe. Once that wonderful day occurs, citizens as well as tourists will be allowed to enjoy a blunt alongside their croissant and coffee. Until then, the French police will continue to use their resources to monitor deserted patches of land, in case someone decides to plant something.