More than 200 illegally grown marijuana plants seized from Pueblo County property

The Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office says a man who had a permit to grow 24 medical marijuana plants was growing many more than that.

211 plants were seized from a home in the 2200 block of 40th Lane. The sheriff’s office says an additional 13 plants were taken from the property because they were in an area that wasn’t secure.

Carlos Casias, 42, and Samuel Molina, 47, were arrested. The medical marijuana license belonged to Casias.

Investigators went to the home Friday morning after a patrol deputy drove by and noticed lights on in an exterior building and smelled marijuana. Deputies spoke to Molina, who admitted there were marijuana plants on the property but said they belonged to Casias.

Deputies then contacted Casias, who said he had a medical marijuana license and had paperwork to support his plant count.

Casias allowed deputies to search the property. A total of 235 marijuana plants were found.

Friday’s bust is the 17th in Pueblo County since March 14 and the second in eastern Pueblo County in less than 24 hours.

“It’s very upsetting, I don’t like that. It’s real disheartening to see our community is going down like this,” said Norbert Miller, a neighbor.

Miller has lived in the neighborhood his entire life and says marijuana was never a problem until it was legalized.

“I guess I was just naive to know how much that’s out there. I was just flabbergasted with the knowledge of how much was out there. Then to see how many people are actually growing it,” said Miller.

Casias and Molina face charges for cultivation of marijuana.