Pubdate: Wed, 12 Feb 2003
Source: Province, The (CN BC)
Copyright: 2003 The Province
Contact:  http://www.canada.com/vancouver/theprovince/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/476
Author: Richard Cowan

$24 MILLION FOR 347 POUNDS OF POT? NOT LIKELY

I'm responding to the article in Friday's Province which said two Vancouver 
brothers were reportedly caught in Ohio "with 158 kilograms of potent 
marijuana that police say is worth $24 million."

That is pure prohibitionist propaganda.

First, 158 kilograms (347 pounds) of pot would never fetch $24 million. 
That would be almost $70,000 per pound.

It would be very unlikely to bring in even $8,000 per pound, unless it was 
broken into much smaller quantities and sold retail.

The unlucky brothers would have been lucky to get $4,000 per pound with 
that quantity.

Second, the police assertion that the seized B.C. bud was, "potent enough 
to have a street-value equal to cocaine" is also questionable. Marijuana is 
not as potent as cocaine, which sells for at least three times the price of 
cannabis.

Third, there is no way the Ohio police could have known the pot's potency 
without testing it, and there was no indication such testing was done.

Richard Cowan,

Vancouver
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