70,000 marijuana plants seized in Ohio, Cordray says

Associated Press

COLUMBUS

Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray says authorities seized more than 70,000 marijuana plants in the state this year — the largest amount since 1997.

Cordray said in a statement that about half of the plants were part of commercial growing operations discovered in five counties: Licking, Logan, Muskingum, Portage and Pike.

Regionally, 75 percent of the plants came from southeast Ohio, and about 9,800 plants were found in the southwestern part of the state.

Cordray said the pot seizure resulted in the arrests of more than 100 people and the confiscation of 60 weapons.

Last year, authorities discovered 48,000 plants. The attorney general says large-scale Mexican growers are behind this year’s increase.