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