East Texas

By KENNETH DEAN
Staff Writer

For one Smith County man, the street cost of marijuana apparently led him to grow his own to smoke, but police say there are two problems — it’s illegal and 71 plants are a little hard to explain as being for “personal use.”

Smith County Sheriff’s Sgt. Randy Meadows said 55-year-old John Daniel Miller III was arrested Monday and charged with felony possession of marijuana and may see his charges enhanced as the drug is weighed.

“The narcotics officer got a tip about a possible marijuana grow out on County Road 1111 in the western part of the county. So, she and another deputy went to do what we call a knock and talk,” he said.

Meadows said when the deputies pulled up the driveway, it was evident there was illegal activity going on because at least five marijuana plants circled with old tires lined the drive.

Meadows said the deputies could only guess the tires may have been used to keep Miller from accidentally running over the plants with a lawn mower or cutting them down with a weed whacker.

Meadows said once the deputies had visual confirmation there was marijuana being grown at the location, they asked Miller for consent to search the rest of his property and were amazed when he said OK.

“He said he knew we were coming sooner or later so he was expecting us,” he said.

When the deputies looked in an enclosed area behind the house, they found neat little rows of plants growing like corn.

They found additional leafy substances in the home that were drying, but they did not find scales or indications that Miller was selling any of the marijuana.

“He told us that this was all for his own personal use and he began growing it because it is just too high to buy on the streets,” Meadows said.

Deputies estimate that the haul was worth just under $100,000.

Miller remains incarcerated in the Smith County Jail on a $15,000 bond.

While the bust was not close to some of the larger busts in Smith County history, one deputy said that, due to the fact it was for personal use, that meant there was a “whole lot of smoking going on.”

John David Miller III
(Courtesy Smith County Sheriff)