"At least 80 percent of the marijuana seized in the Seattle area is grown indoors, according to the agency's statistics in a 1996 National Institute on Drug Abuse report." (State's Marijuana crop expanding, The Associated Press, November 27, 1998)

"Authorities say they made one of the largest pot busts ever in Spokane when they seized 80 pounds of marijuana from an illegal immigrant Wednesday. ...Detectives found 12 compressed blocks of pot inside one of the bags, 13 in the other. Police estimated the street value of the marijuana at $100,000." (Authorities snare 80 pounds of pot at station, July 31, 1998)

"NEWPORT, Wash - Authorities chalked up a record Thursday when they intercepted $250,000 worth of high-grade marijuana in three hockey bags being smuggled across the Canadian border near Metaline Falls, Wash. Then they found three more bags. At 300 pounds and an estimated street value of $500,000, it was by far the largest pot bust in Pend Oreille County’s history. (Border marijuana bust a record, The Columbian, July 25, 1998)

"More than nine pounds of cocaine and about $1 million worth of marijuana were pulled off the Pierce County drug market this week, authorities said. The busts were some of the largest ever made in the county, Pierce County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Curt Benson said. ...The couple had 549 marijuana plants growing in a field. ...Deputies also confiscated 15 guns from the home, including assault rifles, high-caliber pistols and a shotgun. ‘ It’s typical with the drug to have these types of weapons,’ Benson said." (9 pounds of cocaine, $1 million in pot seized, The News Tribune (Tacoma), July 24, 1998)

"Since the first of the year, Border Patrol agents in the Blaine/Lynden area have confiscated more than 400 pounds of marijuana - worth about $3 million - from smugglers trying to spirit it across the wide-open border. (Cannabis connection, Seattle Weekly, July 23, 1998)

"From the last week in June, the sting led to 34 drug sales or possession arrests. About $15,000 in illicit drugs, two vehicles, a gun and $2,500 in cash were also seized. During the operation police intercepted marijuana, methamphetamine, 400 doses of LSD and a large shipment of heroin coming from Tacoma, Oderman (Olympia police Cmdr. Steve Oderman) said. ...Before the sting, Paul Seabert, president of the Olympia Downtown Association said young people were often overdosing in business bathrooms and that spent needles were regularly found on downtown sidewalks." (Downtown sting clamps down on illicit drug activity, The Olympian, July 23, 1998)

"TOPPENISH - a drug bust in the Toppenish area Wednesday netted an estimated $15,000 worth of marijuana, according to authorities." (Pot seized in Toppenish bust, Yakima Herald-Republic, July 23, 1998)

"The raids, at 27 homes, netted a half-pound of methamphetamine, a quart of meth oil, 46 grams of marijuana, 11 marijuana plants, eight packages of rock cocaine, one gram of hashish and a half-ounce package of heroin. ...The purpose of the mission, known as Operation Meth Sweep, was to investigate sites where illegal drug activity was reported and arrest people with felony drug warrants outstanding, sheriff’s officials said." (7 arrested in drug raids at 27 homes in county, The News Tribune (Tacoma), July 21, 1998)

"It might not be chic anymore, but heroin use appears to be increasing after waning since its peak in the early 1990s. The drug, which is suspected in at least three overdoses in the Tri-Cities this month - two of which were fatal - costs about half as much as a year ago, said Sgt. Jim Raymond of the Tri-City Metro Drug Task Force." (Ultra-potent heroin suspected in 3 Tri-City Deaths, Tri-City Herald, July 9, 1998)

"It was one of the ‘classier’ marijuana growing operations he’d seen, Granite Falls Police Chief Chuck Allen said. ...police seized 60 full plants and numerous starter plants from the house... ...The mature plants have a street value of $60,000, Allen said. ...‘It was a very sophisticated grow operation,’ Allen said, which included pipes for a water system all over the house and a light system with timers.’" (Granite cops bust coupe growing pot in their home, Lake Stevens Journal, July 8, 1998)

"Two Oregon men were being held in Whatcom County Jail after being arrested for allegedly smuggling 79 pounds of Canadian marijuana worth $300,000 into the United States. ...Officials also found a 9 mm pistol with several clips of ammunition in the vehicle, Jamison (Bellingham Lt. Dac Jamison) said." (Drug smuggling suspected in arrests, Bellingham Herald, June 30, 1998)

"The Clallam County Drug Task Force busted a Sequim man on a charge of dealing drugs after a raid on his home Tuesday. ...Police also found ‘assault style’ firearms and $2,595 in cash. The 18-year old suspect was arrested and booked into Clallam County Jail. (Sequim man busted, Peninsula Daily News, June 25, 1998)

"A survey crew on Mount Hull stumbled upon a marijuana grow June 18 that yielded 97 plants valued at about $100,000. ...Martin (George Martin, unit supervisor of the North Central Washington Narcotics Task Force) said the marijuana growing season has arrived. Those with information can contact the task force at 422-0620 or 1-800-585-0620. ...The task force serves Okanogan and Ferry counties. (Survey crew stumbles on marijuana operation, The Omak-Okanogan Chronicle, June 24, 1998)

"Law enforcement officers arrested a 24-year old man and seized 65 marijuana plants Saturday in the 4000 block of Mosquito Lake Road. ...The seized plants had just recently been moved from inside the residence and were just starting to bud. Their potential retail value was estimated at $78,000 to $97,500. (One arrested and 55 plants seized in county drug bust, Lynden Tribune, June 24, 1998)

"The West Sound Narcotics Enforcement team shut down a marijuana-growing operation and apparent methamphetamine manufacturing site on the same day in different parts of Kitsap County. ...WESTNET estimated the total value of the marijuana in excess of $60,000. ...Detectives also found about 300 grams of meth - also known as crank - with a street value of $22,000." (Seabeck pot operation busted, Central Kitsap Reporter, June 20, 1998)

"Grays Harbor Sheriff’s deputies seized 217 marijuana plants and two bags of mushrooms from four men suspected of operating a grow operation at a Humptulips mobile home Wednesday evening." (Deputies seize more than 200 plants, Daily World, June 18, 1998)

"Pend Oreille County Sheriff’s department recently confiscated approximately 45 pounds of premium marijuana packaged for distribution in an attempted drug deal at Crystal Lake in North Pend Oreille County. The street value of the pot is estimated at $70,000 to $80,000. (Sheriff deputies foil drug deal, June 17, 1998)

"A rise in drug-related deaths is part of the bad news in a new Southwest Washington Health District report, the 1998 update of  Reviewing the Health of Clark County.  ...In the five years from 1992 through 1996, according to the report, 55 men and 27 women from Clark County died of drug-related causes.  The age-adjusted death rate was 5.2 per 100,000 people, surpassing state and national targets of 3.0  (County report documents alarming rise in drug deaths, The Columbian, June 7, 1998)

"Brian Rockom, resident agent in charge at the U.S. Customs office in Blaine, said he has seen a dramatic increase in the number of people attempting to smuggle marijuana into the U.S. over the last five years.   'In 1994 we had about five major seizures and since October of 1997 we've had around 50,' he said." (Whatcom County on front line in drug war, Westside Record Journal, April 29, 1998)

"Since January, there have been 29 arrests at the border, said Sgt. Steve DeFries, with the Northwest Regional Drug Task Force, which is run through the Whatcom County Sheriff's Office. (U.S. Customs Blitzes Border in Drug Hunt, Seattle Times, March 26, 1998)

"What's triggering the increase say police and U.S. Customs officials is the popularity of B.C.-grown marijuana, which has a high level of THC, the active ingredient in marijuana." (U.S. Customs Blitzes Border in Drug Hunt, Seattle Times, March 26, 1998)

"'On that same day, a man and woman with two young children in the car were stopped at the border and 17.5 pounds of marijuana was found in their car,' he (Gene Kerven, area director for U.S. Customs in Blaine) said." (B.C. Border Pot Inspections Increase Delays, Complaints/Demand for Marijuana from Canada, Big Profits Increase Smuggling, The News Tribune, March 22, 1998)

"Recent headlines proclaimed that heroin remains a problem in the Puget Sound area. Heroin-related emergency-room visits in Seattle have increased 400 percent since 1990. In fact, a local health department report states that heroin was the primary drug - second only to alcohol - for those seeking treatment in King County. (Seductive New Heroin is Stalking Teenagers, Seattle Times, March 4, 1998)

"LACEY - Forgery and narcotics arrests rose sharply in 1997 - and both trends are related to increased methamphetamine use, the police said. 'The biggest increase we saw was in forgeries, an 82 percent increase,' Police Chief John Mansfield said. ...Detective Chris Ward said the increase was mostly caused by meth use, but police also saw increases in marijuana, heroin, and crack cocaine." (Meth use prompts rise in forgery, narcotics arrests in Lacey, The Olympian, February 26, 1998)

"Over 100 people used to come in and out a day - at all hours of the night,"said Jamie Beasley-Koch, who has five young children and lives next door. 'We woke up Easter morning to a gunshot. We had to put the children on the floor several nights.' (One Auburn neighborhood won its war on drug dealing, South County Journal, January 26, 1998)

"A national survey released this week by the White House shows a slight decline in heroin-related emergency room visits in 1996. But in the Seattle area there has been a 15 percent increase in such visits. Since 1990 mention of heroin use by those seeking help in Seattle-area emergency rooms have quadrupled. Heroin use in Seattle involves 'all manner of people,' said Dr. Michael Copass, medical director of emergency services at Harborview Medical Center. 'The only exceptions are the very young and the very old.' Heroin use is 'all over - Ballard, Magnolia, West Seattle,' Copass said." (Heroin remains a problem here, Seattle Post Intelligencer, January 3, 1998)

"We are a gateway," she (U.S. attorney Kate Pflaumer) said. "We are right on the I-5 corridor that goes all the way from Mexico to Canada." (Drug war stepped up in 7 counties, Seattle Post Intelligencer, January 2, 1998)