Pubdate: Thu, 25 Oct 2007
Source: Daily Gleaner (CN NK)
Copyright: 2007 Brunswick News Inc.
Contact:  http://dailygleaner.canadaeast.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3857
Page: A1
Author: MICHAEL STAPLES

POT WORTH $50 MILLION ON STREET

Marijuana Harvest | RCMP Say Plants Would've Likely Been Sold As Pot In N.B.

Marijuana with an estimated street value of more than  $50 million 
has been seized by RCMP in the province  over the last several weeks.

Although final figures are still being tallied, RCMP  said Wednesday 
that as many as 20,000 plants have been  ripped from the ground by 
the police force during its  annual marijuana-eradication program.

That adds up to 10 million joints, said Sgt. Luc Breton  of RCMP J 
Division's drug-awareness section.

"It makes us feel good," Breton said "The less weed  that's on the 
street, the less kids that are going to  be getting it."

Breton said the RCMP's success in locating and removing  the plants 
can be credited to the work by district  police offices in New 
Brunswick and to more assistance  from the public.

"When you think about it, there is no doubt that these  weeds are 
going to our streets and it is affecting  everybody," Breton said.

"It is a known fact that a lot of young people will  start using weed 
as their first drug of choice and then  it goes from there. By the 
end of the day, they are  addicted to hard chemical drugs."

RCMP estimate that at least a quarter of the marijuana  grown in New 
Brunswick finds its way into the hands of  organized crime.

Breton said there are more plant seizures than arrests.

That's because many of the marijuana grow operations  are isolated 
and people use their familiarity with the  locations to avoid being picked up.

"It's like looking for a needle in a haystack," Breton  said. "We 
would love to get the people in the marijuana  plantations, but the 
season is so short and we do not  have the manpower to do the 
surveillance on those  plantations like we would love to.

"At the end of the day, we would sooner take the  plantation than nothing."

Michael Boudreau, an associate professor with the  Department of 
Criminology and Criminal Justice at St.  Thomas University, said 
seizing the marijuana and  proving who owns it are two different things.

He said there aren't many arrests because it's easier  for police to 
take the substance in the hope of sending  a message to growers that 
they're being watched.

But when it comes to searching private property, police  have to have 
a warrant and be able to prove they have  good cause or good reason, 
Boudreau said.

People who feel their rights have been violated because  of marijuana 
seizures have the right to challenge under  Section 8 of the Charter 
of Rights and Freedoms, which  guarantees that everyone has the right 
to be secure  from unreasonable search and seizure, he said.

"But I hope they have deep pockets, because it is going  to take a 
while," Boudreau said. "It's not impossible  but it's difficult to 
argue one charter right against  another. There is also the proviso 
that the goals of  fundamental justice should also prevail.

"If it means protecting society from illegal drugs, as  opposed to 
respecting someone's privacy, the chances  are the fundamental 
justice would be protecting society  from drugs."

Breton, meanwhile, acknowledges that a search warrant  is needed if 
police have knowledge that marijuana is  situated on private 
property. But if a plantation is  noticed from the air, RCMP can eradicate it.

"We would be allowed to stop and pick up that because  we had no 
knowledge it was there," Breton said. "We  haven't had (anyone 
complain) yet and I don't know  anybody that would walk forward and 
say, (hey) 'Those  are my plants.' "
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