Maine Officials Seize 400+ Illegal Pot Plants and Rescue a Dog

The Somerset County Sheriff's Office has found another illegal grow house in Madison, this time with a dog in need of help.

How Many Plants Were Seized?

Sheriff Dale Lancaster says members of the Criminal Division executed a search warrant at a house on Foss Road in Madison just before 11:00 Monday morning. The warrant was in response to a lengthy investigation into illegal marijuana cultivation activities allegedly taking place at the address.

Seized as a result of this search were 449 live mature marijuana plants, 52 pounds of processed marijuana, harvested marijuana plants, and illicit drug-related articles. The Madison Code Enforcement Officer was contacted because of possible code violations.

What Happened to the Dog?

No people were found at the residence at the time of the search, but officials did find a dog that was not being properly cared for. The dog was turned over to the Madison Animal Welfare Office.

Wasn't There Another Raid in Madison Just Recently?

This is the second search warrant executed in the past four days in Madison involving suspected illegal marijuana cultivation sites. So far, over 1,900 live plants and over 60 pounds of processed marijuana have been seized in that community. Over the past month, the Somerset County Sheriff's Office Criminal Division has executed six search warrants in the towns of Cornville, Norridgewock, Mercer, and Madison, and has arrested four people for the illegal operations. To date, the Sheriff's Office has seized over 6,700 live marijuana plants and over 180 pounds of processed marijuana.

These grow houses are being illegally run, without the proper state licenses. They do not represent the responsibly run establishments being operated legally in the state.