I had a particularly hard day at work on Thursday. I arrived home around 6 p.m. and was preparing to exit my truck and go into the house when Kathy met me in the drive, phone in hand. "The sheriff called, it is something about a big drug bust, and they want you out there to take pictures."

I called Capt. Wallace Whittaker, who was on the scene, for directions, and 30 minutes later, I parked in front of the Larry Anderson home.

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I noticed immediately the Sheriff Department's "drug truck" with half a load of marijuana on it, and at the edge of the drive, numerous large bags of processed "dope" along with a quantity of firearms. BATF agents were there, as were numerous members of the Sheriff's Department. Among them was this incident's chief investigator, Detective Josh Watkins.

Watkins filled me in on what was going on. I commented that they had quite a load on the truck, and asked how much was there. "Almost 200 plants," he stated, "but that isn't all of it. We are about to go back into the fields and look some more." I asked to go with them, and was given the nod by both Watkins and Special Agent Hayes.

Along the way, we had two red sorrel mules follow us in an attempt to "eat the evidence". It would seem that they thought the marijuana would make a good meal.

The next gate put a stop to that. We had no sooner entered the field than we encountered the first of numerous small patches of marijuana.

As darkness fell, the search was called off with a total of 431 plants being found. That, along with the estimated 17 pounds of processed 'stuff,' would come to an estimated street value of $700,000.

In the darkness, the federal agents and local authorities coordinated for a search to continue the next day, to include requesting assistance from the "Raid" unit (a reserve U.S. Army Special Forces unit) out of Frankfort.

Raid specializes in marijuana detection from the air. The search was resumed on the Anderson property at around 11 the next morning, and then later that day the helicopter searched an area with a mile radius of the property. The results netted an additional 79 plants on the Anderson property, and over 200 plants found in the surrounding area.

Those estimated 200 plants may or may not be related to this case and just a coincidence; however, judging from the photographs there are a lot of similarities in the pattern.

"How do you figure the street value of the total take?" I asked that question of Whittaker, who replied that the formula was $1,500 to $2,200 per plant, and $2,200 per pound of processed stuff.

If we do the math conservatively then, and add the 79 additional plants found the next morning to the 431 plants of the day before, we have 510 plants times $1,500 dollars which comes to $765, 000 dollars in unharvested crop, and approximately 17 processed pounds at $2,200 per pound comes to $37,400, for a total take on the Anderson farm alone of $802,400 dollars. Keep in mind that is all a conservative figure.

If you add to that the street value of those plants found in the nearby area (approximately $300,000,) you come up with a total take for the "good guys" at well over a million dollars. Not a bad day's work I would think, and the Sheriff's Department (not to mention the 'Feds') should be commended for their hard work.

This investigation began about a year ago, according to Detective Watkins, and started with an anonymous tip. During the course of the investigation, the Department received numerous complaints from the area about the alleged drug activity associated with the Anderson farm.

It all climaxed late Thursday afternoon, and that is when BATF agents were called in to actively participate in the investigation.

What really should concern everyone in the community is that because the Andersons were released early the next morning (around 7:30) on signature bonds, and the authorities were unable to resume their search until around 11:30 a.m., there was a period of time where quite a bit might have been destroyed.

According to Whittaker, there was evidence in the initial search of an attempt to flush a quantity down the commode. The rest of the processed stuff was found in the attic, stored in plastic bags, buried in the insulation and wrapped in alcohol soaked towels. The soaked towels aid in the drying process.

Much of it (the marijuana) had been soaked in what smelled like a "minty mouthwash."

Research turns up that it gives flavor to the 'dope', which makes it sell better.

Along with the aforementioned drugs and guns located on the property, approximately a $1,000 in cash and other negotiable items were found, along with stolen property and evidence of the possible identity of other people involved in this endeavor.

With that being said, the investigation continues at both the local and Federal levels.

The "Feds" are planning to file Federal Forfeiture Papers, which in effect seizes all the 'moveable' property of the Andersons (i.e. vehicles, and items that could be sold and removed), and places a lien on the farm, preventing them from doing anything with it until such time as this case is cleared up. If they are convicted then they not only lose their freedom, but they also lose all their property.

Currently they are only facing charges in the state for Cultivation (over 5 plants), trafficking (more than 5 pounds), possession of drug Paraphernalia.

Additionally, Larry Anderson faces 24 counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Federal charges are also pending, most of which are identical. This will in effect take the case out of the hands of the local courts, and place them in federal court.

I asked Special Agent Hayes if he was surprised by the ages of the accused, to which he replied "not at all". He went on to imply that a majority of major drug busts net this particular age group.

Is that a "throw back" of the drug culture of the late 60s and early 70s, or is it a continuing problem that has spanned the generation gap? I do know this much: of the 15 or so drug busts I participated in during the past year, the majority of the accused were in their late 30's through early 50's.

Does this mean the "kids" aren't doing it? No! It means they aren't doing it in a big way yet (or at least that is what I think).

As they get older, they "grow bigger" and by doing so, more people are involved.

The more people involved in a secret (I learned in the Army), the greater risk of revelation.

So, young folks involved in such as this, I have one piece of advice for you: if you are involved in such activity the chances are pretty good that eventually you to can wake up in a cell with some guy named 'Bubba' as your "best friend".

One interesting side note to all of this, there were two books amongst the evidence. One was entitled "Cultivating Marijuana." Evidently that one worked, and the other was "Ask Ed: Marijuana Law Don't Get Busted." That one didn't, did it?