BUTTS COUNTY, Ga. (CBS12) — Nearly 900 pounds of marijuana was headed to Orlando before Georgia authorities intercepted it as part of a massive 1,800-pound bust.
Butts County Sheriff Gary Long said the marijuana was seized Monday morning after originating in Sacramento, California, where marijuana is legal.
About half the shipment was headed to Atlanta, while the other half was destined for Orlando, according to Long.
In Florida, medical marijuana is legal for qualified patients, but recreational marijuana remains illegal.
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Long said the shipment was intercepted in Butts County as authorities investigated the movement of marijuana across state lines:
The illegal marijuana trade does not stop at the state line.”
Long said the seizure involved marijuana originating in a state where it is legal and headed to states with more limited marijuana laws.
“This isn’t simply the legal marijuana industry supplying these illegal markets,” said Long. “Mexican drug-trafficking organizations and other criminal organizations continue to move enormous quantities of marijuana across state lines, undercutting legitimate growers and businesses operating within the legal system.”
The seizure comes as Georgia lawmakers continue to debate the state’s approach to marijuana. Georgia currently allows low-THC cannabis oil for registered medical patients but has not legalized recreational marijuana.
Authorities have not said who was expected to receive the marijuana in Orlando or announced arrests tied to the Florida-bound portion of the shipment.