Cops Find 150 Pounds of Weed in Pamona

Police operating on a tip from a neighbor raided a Pomona home in late September and seized about 150 pounds of marijuana, along with methamphetamine, officials said.

Officers went to the house on East Bonita Avenue at 6 p.m. Sept. 28, following an anonymous tip from a neighbor. They found “several large marijuana plants growing in the rear yard of the location,” said Pomona Police Corp. Manny Ramos. “As officers were conducting their investigation, the occupant of the location began to destroy the marijuana plants.”

Police then got a search warrant and raided the house. Inside, they uncovered 150 pounds of weed, several ounces of meth, potentially stolen property, and extensive ammunition – but no gun.

Officers arrested Gary Lewis, 40, and he was booked at Pomona City Jail on a $30,000 bail. His first court appearance was Sept. 30.

Elsewhere in California

As the state suffers through the worst drought in memory, one pot farmer says he has a solution to the problem.

Marijuana cultivators themselves are viewed as part of the problem by many, since they use large amounts of water to grow their sometimes-illegal crop. But George Bianchini, owner of Medi-Cone, said he has developed an “ultra-conserving garden” that saves water.

“This system for growing high-quality marijuana, as well as fruits, vegetables, and other herbs, uses the exact amount of water that a plant needs, and not a drop more,” Bianchini said.

The system uses a so-called “wicking method” that dates to the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, Bianchini said. He said his garden conserves water 75 percent more effectively than other farming techniques. And he claims his he has bred a strain that makes it possible to harvest three outdoor crops each year, a massive haul for a pot farmer.

Medi-Cone, a medical marijuana company, took First Place at San Francisco’s Hempcon this summer. Biancini gave tours of his “Wicked Wicking System” in September.

He has begun selling pre-made irrigation kits and made an online video demonstrating how to build a Medi-Cone garden.