Nosy Pierce County Deputy Sniffs Out Huge Marijuana Farm

EATONVILLE, WA - The unmistakable smell of marijuana led a Pierce County deputy to an enormous pot growing operation in a rural area near Eatonville, and police this week raided the operation, seizing nearly 3,000 marijuana plants.

The deputy first caught a whiff - literally - of the grow operation a few weeks ago while driving along SR 702 near Christensen Much Road. The strong smell reminded him of a conversation he had with a local who had reported a possible grow operation along the 3800 block of Christensen Muck Road.

The deputy first confirmed with the state that the site was not a legal grow. Next, he looked at the property's electric bills and discovered it was the largest user of electricity in OHOP Mutual Light's service area - using some 300,000 kilowatt hours per year, equivalent to about 30 individual homes.

Pierce County deputies raided the property Thursday, finding thousand of pot plants and an elaborate greenhouse with its own climate. Police estimated the operation could produce about $1.4 million in marijuana per quarter.

Police arrested a married couple - a 46-year-old man and a 46-year-old woman - at the home on a charge of manufacturing a controlled substance.

Image courtesy Pierce County Sheriff's Office