NJ police find 4,000 marijuana plants in illegal grow houses

🔲 NJ trio busted for massive pot growing operation

🔲 Over 4,000 plants recovered

🔲 NJ has 170 legal dispensaries as of fall 2024

HAMILTON (Atlantic) – Three Atlantic County residents have been charged in connection with a massive illegal marijuana operation, out of houses converted into grow facilities.

On Monday, 47-year-old Hanzi Chen, 41-year-old Suxia Li and 50-year-old Deng Huan Hong were arrested in Buena and charged with possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute and maintaining a narcotics production facility, both first-degree offenses.

Buena Borough (Google Maps)

A three-month investigation by members of the State Police Marijuana Eradication Team South, along with members of the Franklinville Police Department and Elk Township Police Department executed three residential search warrants in Buena.

Police found the properties had been equipped with the proper lighting, heating, ventilation, air conditioning, growth nutrients, water supply, and grow space to allow more than 4,000 marijuana plants to flourish — with an estimated multi-million-dollar retail value.

None of the properties are licensed medical or recreational cannabis businesses.

Chen, Li and Hong were found living in the respective homes.

Buena Borough stats (Google Maps, Canva, Townsquare Media)

All three defendants were being held at Atlantic County Jail, pending detention hearings set for Wednesday.

State law has very specific regulatory requirements for legal marijuana operations, for either medical or adult recreation use.

There is no allowance for a personal quantity of home grown marijuana in NJ, well over two years since recreational use sales launched.

RELATED: NJ trails most legal cannabis states when it comes to home grow
https://nj1015.com/nj-legal-cannabis-no-home-cultivation-marijuana/

As of fall 2024, there were 24 states that have legalized recreational cannabis.

Personal cultivation of a limited number of plants was also allowed in all of those states, except for New Jersey and Delaware.

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