Pubdate: Thu, 20 May 2004 Source: Cape Breton Post (CN NS) Copyright: 2004 Cape Breton Post Contact: http://www.capebretonpost.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/777 Author: T.J. Colello TWO MEN ARRESTED IN DRUG BUST SYDNEY - Two Cape Breton men were arrested Wednesday after a drug bust in the downtown yielded more than 200 mature plants, worth anywhere from $200,000 to $500,000 on the street. Sgt. Lou Marinelli, of the Cape Breton Regional Police street crime/drug unit, said police had been watching the Dorchester Street building since January. Police are not sure who the current owners are or if they were involved in the operation. The building was once home to the Cape Breton Post. The newspaper moved from the building to its current location on George Street in the mid-1980s and sold the building. Police executed the bust shortly after 2 p.m. Once inside, they found a sophisticated grow operation, with $200,000 in marijuana plants and the potential to produce over half a million dollars if the rest of the plants "had still been there," according to Marinelli. The grow operation was aeroponic, where no soil is used and the roots of the plants are supplied vitamins and nutrients through a watering system. "It's a quicker yield, with a higher THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) content," said Marinelli. The two men will be facing cultivation charges this morning in provincial court. Their ages and names have not been released. - --- MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart