Straight out of a scene from "Pineapple Express," local law enforcement and federal agents seized more than $800,000 worth of marijuana plants in Williston.
When news of the bust hit North Central Florida, the Editorial Board can only imagine area pot smokers held their collective breath - quickly texting their dealers to assess what this meant for future orders.
Located in an underground grow house mere miles south of UF, authorities seized nearly 200 pot plants discovered 10 feet beneath a barn on Monday.
What truly epitomized the sophistication of the scheme was the trap door covered in hay designed to ward off any suspicion of illegal activity.
We wish the Alligator building could magically disguise itself at night so work could get done on time without having to deal with uninvited mystery guests banging on our door.
According to an article in the Gainesville Sun, the operation may have started as far back as 2005, when a fire brought officials to the property to assess the situation. Apparently the person who spearheaded the operation told the officers at the time that he was burning insulation with hopes of constructing a storm bunker for his family.
The Editorial Board confesses such an operation is quite the impressive feat. On top of performing the day-to-day diligence of maintaining the plants, keeping the grow house a secret must have been especially challenging.
Heck, we have trouble just keeping petty newsroom gossip to ourselves.
