FRANKLIN — Franklin Police are looking into what they are calling a large marijuana grow operation in the city limits. Court documents show confidential informants tipped off police back in August, and they applied for and were granted a search warrant by Milwaukee County Courts.
The informants told police there were thousands of marijuana plants in greenhouses and that the odor of marijuana was strong. Police officers say they observed the same when they were on an adjoining property.
The search warrant was carried out back on Sept. 1, and court documents list “drugs” being removed from the site. Franklin Mayor Steve Olson says this was a large marijuana grow, especially within the confines of a city.
“I was astonished when I found out the extent of the grow operation. This is not your college roommate’s basement grow operation. This was a manufacturing operation that was doing it for lots of profit and a lot of plants,” said Olson.
The owner of the property says he was leasing it to a grow operation for hemp. He told TMJ4 News Reporter Tom Durian that the grow was hemp, but that it got too strong. The court documents specify “drugs” were removed from the premises but do not specify the amount of THC, or chemical responsible for marijuana’s psychological effects - which in Wisconsin is limited to 0.3%.
No formal charges have been filed in the case. The District Attorney’s office says they are waiting for the final report and recommendation from police. Mayor Olson believes that his department has already fulfilled its duty. “We have the evidence, we have the documentation, we’re ready to go all we need is the DA to prosecute,” said Olson.
Wednesday, local law enforcement and the state’s Department of Agriculture pulled the plants and whatever is left is expected to be burned.
