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Two Ashland teens caught with sale-sized marijuana ASHLAND -- A 17-year-old male was arrested on drug charges Wednesday evening in what police say is the beginning of a larger effort to crack down on drug sales by teens in the downtown area. "This was a major player that we arrested last night," said Captain Mike DeCapua. "He had five separate baggies of marijuana packaged up for sale." Ashland police have been working undercover since early summer after receiving reports from downtown merchants and tourists about the sale of marijuana, LSD and hallucinogenic mushrooms. DeCapua said those selling the illegal substances range in age from early teens to adults. They are selling mostly to juveniles at all times of the day and night, he said. The investigation is ongoing and more arrests are expected. DeCapua said the investigation is the result both of tips given the department and the new leadership of Police Chief Scott Fleuter. "I think there's a change in philosophy within the department with drug investigations," said DeCapua. "For a number of years the department did not conduct proactive drug investigations." "We want to clean up the downtown area," said DeCapua. The 17-year-old male was lodged at the county juvenile detention center on charges of manufacturing a controlled substance, two counts of delivery of a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance and criminal conspiracy to deliver marijuana. In an unrelated incident, police also arrested a 16-year-old male on charges of manufacture of a controlled substance after 14 small marijuana plants were found growing in his bedroom. DeCapua said the department was alerted to the activity by the teen's mother. "Clearly that was going to be a sales operation," said DeCapua, who praised the mother's action. "We need to know as parents what our children are doing and with whom they are doing it." The teen was released to his mother after the arrest. Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA