Pubdate: Wed, 26 Apr 2006
Source: Quesnel Cariboo Observer (CN BC)
Copyright: 2006 Quesnel Cariboo Observer
Contact:  http://www.quesnelobserver.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1260
Author: Andrea Johnson, Prince George Free Press
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Marijuana - Canada)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/decrim.htm (Decrim/Legalization)

BIG BROTHER'S INFLUENCE GROWS

It's quiet out there -- too quiet.

Typically when news from the front lines of the war on marijuana hits
the streets it is followed by a hue and cry from those who would
decriminalize the herb.

But, in the wake of the announcement of new powers which permit
municipalities to examine hydro electric consumption, in an effort to
rid our communities of the grow-op scourge, few have stepped up to
decry the move.

Perhaps many are wrestling with the Big Brother nature of the new law
versus the public safety issue of having illegal grow operations in
our midst.

It's no secret municipal officials, provincial legislators, police
forces and fire departments are rubbing their hands together in a
state bordering on glee.

It's a bold move that will surely change the face of indoor marijuana
cultivation. The pilot project launched in Surrey last year has the
numbers to prove it.

The Electrical Fire Safety Initiative identified high-use households
then posted notices that the homes would be inspected in 48 hours time.

The initiative team identified 420 homes that met the high-usage
criteria and busted 119 marijuana growing operations.

Those are indeed tough statistics to argue. But let's not ignore the
spectre of Big Brother inherent in this new plan. The sharing of this
type of information from consumer corporation to law enforcement
agencies has historically been a matter for a Freedom of Information
request. But those days are gone.

Officials will now be looking for households with high usage starting
at as little as three times 'normal.' Where does this leave the
hobbyist or the legitimate home-based business operator?

Cops make mistakes. Instances of policemen kicking in the wrong door,
raiding the wrong home and terrorizing an innocent family are the
stuff of legend. We have to hope there are sufficient safety
mechanisms built in to this new weapon.

The public safety nature of this issue is clearly important. And
having Big Brother watching isn't always a bad thing. Let's hope the
innocent still have nothing to fear.
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake