High Times for US Biz

With the nation's fiscal health in the tank, homegrown marijuana operations have soared by 60 percent. Since Oct. 1, the Drug Enforcement Administration has broken up eight hydroponic pot-growing set-ups around the state -- with five in the Big Apple. That compares with five for all of the previous fiscal year. Growing marijuana hydroponically -- in water -- is a lucrative business, said John Gilbride, head of the DEA's New York office. It is far more potent than the regular stuff -- with a pound going for about $5,000 on the street. A pound of grass smuggled in from Mexico goes for $400 to $1,500.