Marijuana not tomatoes

    The owner of one the greenhouses which make up the sea of plastic you see from the motorway past Almeria has been arrested for his cultivation of marijuana on an industrial scale. The man, identified only by his initials J.E.V.A., Spanish, aged 40, was arrested in connection with the discovery of a plantation in the Santa Maria del Aguila area of El Ejido. The Guardia Civil say they found growing in a greenhouse 500 cannabis Sativa plants which had a total weight of approximately 3,000 kilos. There were also two greenhouses used for drying the plants and preparing them for sale. A luxury car was seized at the time of the man's arrest and the Guardia Civil are continuing investigations looking for the accomplices who must have been involved in an operation of this scale. Spanish law does not consider the possession of small quantities of marijuana for personal use a crime, although it is illegal to consume or be in possession of any quantity in any public place. Cultivation of marijuana for its sale or distribution is considered a serious offence punishable with several years' imprisonment.