Pubdate: Wed, 20 Oct 2004 Source: Toronto Sun (CN ON) Copyright: 2004, Canoe Limited Partnership. Contact: http://www.canoe.com/NewsStand/TorontoSun/home.html Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/457 Author: Alan Findlay Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/topics/grow+operations FANTINO THINKS LEGAL POT STINKS Province Targets Grow Ops Toronto police Chief Julian Fantino likened decriminalizing marijuana to legalizing murder yesterday as he rejected arguments that legal pot would cut down on organized crime now growing it. "I guess we can legalize murder too and then we won't have a murder case. We can't go that way," Fantino said. "I don't know what the medical properties of marijuana are or aren't, or whether it's good or bad," he added. "The fact remains that marijuana today is a very, very significant concern and it's illegal and, as such, we have to deal with it." He said legalizing pot would simply mean it would be grown in Canada and shipped to the U.S. and other places where it's still illegal. His remarks came after Ontario Minister of Community Safety Monte Kwinter announced new legislation combatting the public safety hazards of grow ops across the province. The legislation includes the doubling of several Ontario Fire Code fines reaching up to $1 million for activities such as rewiring electricity around a meter for the sake of powering basement pot projects. QUICK POWER CUTS If passed, the new law would also enshrine into law the right of local hydro companies to disconnect electricity without notice for emergency or safety reasons and require inspections of all homes confirmed to have contained a grow op. Kwinter said homes containing intensive pot operations in their basements are 40 times more likely to spark a fire. They also contain toxic chemicals, breed mold and often harm the structure of the home. OPP Detective Chief Superintendent Frank Ryder said the provincial police have executed search warrants at 629 homes converted into grow ops. Much of that pot is then shipped across the border in exchange for harder drugs, guns and cash, Ryder said. Conservative critic Garfield Dunlop called for tougher trafficking sentences. New Democrat MPP Peter Kormos said the federal government would be well advised to regulate the sale of pot and collect taxes on the industry. - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin