Pubdate: Sun, 26 Sep 2004 Source: Penticton Western (CN BC) Copyright: 2004 Penticton Western Contact: http://www.pentictonwesternnews.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1310 Author: Russell Barth Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada) BYLAW NO ANSWER FOR GROW OPS The bylaw will accomplish nothing. By forcing landlords to pay fines for the crimes of the tenants, the landlords might just as well get into the pot-growing business themselves. If fear of fines and jail was a deterrent, why has it not worked yet? Do these councillors think people will be too scared to grow pot with this new bylaw in place? If our inept government would just legalize and regulate pot growing, then these grow operations could be out in the industrial areas instead of people's homes. Provided no one is damaging the building, offending others with the smell, stealing hydro, or causing a fire hazard, growing a small amount of cannabis in one's home should not be a crime. Adding more prohibition to the situation will result in higher street value for cannabis. This will make more people, including landlords, want to get into this highly lucrative business. Prohibition is the only "scourge" associated with cannabis. People grow pot because it is valuable, and it is valuable because it is illegal, and it is illegal because the government wants to protect the interest of the big pharmaceutical companies. If prohibition were going to work, it would have worked by now. Russell Barth, Ottawa - --- MAP posted-by: Derek