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Troopers Deal With Reefer Madness After Pot Find

Picture from the Florida Highway Patrol.

An I-4 cleanup crew found 60 pounds of pot on the side of the highway Tuesday.

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By JOSH POLTILOVE | The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 28, 2007

Updated: 11/28/2007 12:06 pm

Previous: I-4 Cleanup Crew Finds 60 Pounds Of Pot

TAMPA - Prank calls and conspiracy theories have been rolling in since the Florida Highway Patrol reported that about 60 pounds of marijuana were found along Interstate 4 west of Plant City on Tuesday.

The patrol has said that anyone who has lost bags of marijuana should call (813) 631-4020. The patrol also asked that people call if they know anything about how the bags wound up at I-4 near McIntosh Road.

"This is law enforcement. Nothing surprises us," Trooper Larry Coggins said. "We get all kinds of crackpots and nut cases with their theories. We sift through the ones that are legitimate and take care of them."

One caller claimed to have broken down on the side of the road, high on marijuana, when someone stole the drugs.

"The caller said, 'They took my pot, and I want it back,' and then the caller hung up, laughing," Coggins said.

At 7:30 a.m. Tuesday, a highway cleanup crew spotted two large plastic trash bags on the side of the highway. They were filled with about 60 pounds of marijuana. Coggins said the pot, valued at more than $54,000, apparently fell out of or was thrown from a passing vehicle.

The marijuana appeared freshly cut, and some of the plants had intact root balls. Investigators suspect the plants were harvested from a grow-house operation, he said.

This was not the largest amount of marijuana found alongside a highway, "but it certainly isn't an everyday event," Coggins said.

Coggins said he has fielded media calls from across the country, Europe, South America and Australia.

Conspiracy theories called in to troopers include the possibility that people threw out the marijuana while being chased by police and intended to return.

No theories have been substantiated, Coggins said.

Coggins recalled other odd tales involving drugs, such as people griping about not being paid for drugs and Phillip Williams of Tampa telling police last year that he wasn't convinced the crack cocaine he bought was real.

"All kinds of crazy things can happen," he said. "But that's what drugs do to people."

Follow crime throughout the day at Keyword: Crime Blog Reporter Josh Poltilove can be reached at jpoltilove@tampatrib.com or (813) 259-7691.

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