It’s a bust that Baker County deputies best describe as “very significant”.

Deputies have uncovered a grow house in Macclenny, with 179 marijuana plants and growing paraphernalia.

Major Gerald Gonzalez says each plant would yield an estimated pound of marijuana, giving each plant a street value of $1,000- or $179,000 for the crop.  He says any indoor hydroponic operation they find in homes is usually just a few plants, so he was happy to see this amount of marijuana would now be off the street.

The Sheriff’s Office uncovered the plants when they were following up on a medical emergency reported last night.  49-year-old Tony Marshall Barber drove a friend to a hospital near his home after the friend became unresponsive.

While investigating, deputies asked permission to come in to Barber’s home.

“I’d be scared to try to tell you why he would have agreed for us to go inside his home, knowing that the odor was- according to deputies- extremely overwhelming soon after you walked inside the residence,” Barber says.

Once they smelled the odor, Barber says the deputies then asked permission to further search the home, and found the plants.

Barber has been charged with possession and cultivation of marijuana, possession with intent to distribute, and possession and cultivation within 500 feet of a place of worship.  His home is across the street from a local church.

Barber says the friend’s medical emergency originated in Barber’s home, although it appears to be unrelated to marijuana.