Course Length: 2 days (16 hours)

Coordinators: Katherine Argueta (727-692-4811)

Upon completion of the course, the investigator will be familiar with cultivation trends in the United States and will be able to identify the signs that indicate the presence of an indoor or outdoor grow operation. The course will emphasize the skills necessary to draft an affidavit for a search warrant and give credible testimony in criminal trials. Further, the investigator will be taught investigative techniques to successfully disrupt and prosecute the violator.

Course Objectives

At the conclusion of this course, participants will be able to:

  • Gain awareness of US statutes related to marijuana use, manufacture and distribution along with additional federal codes that may be employed in the prosecution of such cases.
  • Understand the trends in marijuana use, its effects and social views over time.
  • Identify the strains of the cannabis plant, grow factors and the plant life cycle.
  • Identify the equipment used in the indoor grow operation and the probable cause generated by its use.
  • Develop a working knowledge of indoor grow operations.
  • Describe techniques for investigating structures suspected of indoor grow operations.
  • Develop a working knowledge of outdoor grow operations.
  • Describe techniques for investigating outdoor grow operations.
  • Gain an awareness of aerial marijuana spotting techniques.
  • Understand marijuana eradication techniques.
  • Identify critical elements necessary for drafting an affidavit for a search warrant.
  • Describe strategies for giving credible court testimony in marijuana cultivation cases.

Overview of topics

  • Introduction and Laws
  • Marijuana Use, Effects and Social Views
  • Marijuana Basics
  • Indoor Grow Equipment
  • Indoor Grow Operations
  • Indoor Grow Investigations
  • Outdoor Grow Operations
  • Outdoor Grow Investigations
  • Aerial Spotting
  • Eradication
  • Search Warrants and Legal Considerations Case File Preparation Case Examples

Course Schedule and Contacts:

To register for a class, click the “Register” button or call the contact listed with that class below: