Pubdate: Mon, 23 Mar 2009
Source: Nanaimo News Bulletin (CN BC)
Copyright: 2009, BC Newspaper Group
Contact:  http://www.nanaimobulletin.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/948
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v09/n319/a09.html
Author: Russell Barth

PROHIBITION CONTINUES TO BE GROWTH INDUSTRY

To The Editor,

Re: RCMP 'Green Team' cracks down on grow ops, March 19.

Every time the police tear out one grow op, they make the 90-95 per 
cent of grows they don't catch all that much more valuable.

In this way, every grow bust is actually a gangster subsidy. Police 
know that. They also get to mislead the media and the public into 
thinking the busts are helping things, when, in actual fact, their 
actions are wildly counterproductive.

But police don't want the 'war on drugs' to ever end, because it 
gives them all the leverage they need to harass the young, the poor 
and people with non-regulation hairstyles. It makes their job 
relevant and never-ending.

Prohibition is a growth industry - as big a cash cow for police and 
lawyers and jailers as it is for gangsters. They are two sides of the 
same coin.

Russell Barth
Nepean, Ontario 
- ---
MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart