$18M worth of marijuana seized in massive grow house bust, authorities say

FRANKLIN COUNTY, Ga. — Investigators in northeast Georgia have busted a massive marijuana grow house operation that nabbed $18 million worth of high-grade marijuana.

The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office and the Appalachian Regional Drug Enforcement said they executed a search warrant on Friday at 423 Casey Road, Canon, Georgia.

When they got the scene, they found a what they called a sophisticated grow operation.

Investigators said that a chicken house that been transformed into a grow house and seized approximately 3,500 marijuana plants and over 100 pounds of finished product, some of which was in vacuum-sealed bags and ready for distribution.

Officers said the chicken house had been cut up into several rooms that contained marijuana plants in various stages of growth.

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"The entire operation was operated by an automated lighting, watering, and air filtration systems.
The equipment alone costs over $100,000. This operation also had a cultivation room where the plants were dried, pruned, and put through a screen sifter to separate the marijuana buds from any waste," the Franklin County Sheriff's Office said in a news release.

Guojian LI was arrested at the scene. He was charged with manufacturing marijuana and was transported to the Franklin County Detention Center.

Investigators said the street value of the drugs was about $18 million.

Cox Media Group