On Tuesday the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office conducted the first of its annual marijuana eradication.

Sheriff’s deputies, along with the assistance of the Ohio BCI&I helicopter and the ODNR officers, canvassed about a fourth of the county and found about 450 marijuana plants. The BCI&I helicopter flies in a grid pattern in areas where plants are suspected to be growing. Officers on the ground are directed to where the plants are and they are cut down.

Below is a list of where some of the plants were found:
• 7-mile-marker of State Route 775 – 10 Plants
• 20-mile-marker of State Route 775 – 179 Plants
• Township Road 107 – 96 Plants
• County Road 15 – 14 Plants
• County Road 120N – 50 Plants
• Township Road 1276 – 30 Plants
• County Road 171 – 10 Plants
• County Road 62 – 5 Plants
• Township Road 204 – 60 Plants

No arrests were made at this time. Four separate suspects have been identified in cultivating their portion of the seized plants and could face charges at the conclusion of the investigation.

“Marijuana plants are reaching maturity and will soon be harvested by their growers” Jeff Lawless, Lawrence County Sheriff, said “We plan to fly other parts of the county over the next couple of weeks.”