The article plays down the point of whether or not the tomato grower permitted his home to be searched.
Just how "polite" would the police have been if the homeowner told them to get lost? How long would it take for the police to determine that he had a broken taillight, or too little tread on one tire, or too much tint on one of his car windows?
If its alright to visit the homes of people who bought hydroponic growing equipment, then it must be alright to visit the homes of people who checked books out of the library on hydroponics. Not so?
How long will it be before the government decides that you need a special license to own hydroponic growing equipment?
It's only the War on Some Drugs which has resulted in marijuana growers using hydroponic equipment to begin with. If legal, the pot would be grown in a patch next to the garage. Very inexpensive and no profit margin to justify violence or corruption.
There was a time before the War on Some Drugs and I don't recall reading that it was such a big problem. The outlawing of alcohol, however, sticks out as a time when gangsterism and corruption thrived.
Also from the story:
“I understand that a lot of people use hydroponic equipment for illegal ways, but that’s just like saying everybody who buys a gun is going to be a criminal and murder somebody,” the man said.