Pubdate: Fri, 09 Sep 2011
Source: Comox Valley Echo (CN BC)
Copyright: 2011 Comox Valley Echo
Contact:  http://www.canada.com/vancouverisland/comoxvalleyecho/index.html
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/785
Author: Spencer Anderson

ISLAND MARIJUANA CROPS GO TO POT

This year's illegal marijuana crops have gone to pot, say Vancouver 
Island police.

The number of plants so far seized and destroyed by police this year 
has reportedly dipped to 10,000, compared to a high of 30,000 in the past.

Officers from the federal RCMP drug enforcement branch, Vancouver 
Island RCMP and Victoria and Saanich police departments noticed the 
decline as they undertook their annual helicopter patrol of remote 
Crown land on the Island in an effort to weed out the crops.

But it isn't merely that there are fewer plants; police have also 
noticed that plants are on average smaller than in previous years. In 
addition, the size of individual grow-ops averages out to fewer than 
100 plants per site, which is also smaller than in years past.

Police attribute the 'doobious' crop showing in part to a lack of 
sunshine and reduced temperatures at the start of the growing season.

But the poor bud showing is also due to repeated hits to the grow-ops 
over the past 10 years, said Cpl. Darren Lagan, spokesman for the annual cull.

"Last year, for example, we took over 30,000 plants out," Lagan said. 
"To anyone who suggests that taking 30,000 plants out didn't make an 
impact, I think, would be remiss."

"When you make an impact that large in an illegal activity such as 
this, . you are definitely impacting the bottom line and the 
profitability of that activity," he added. "We don't want to take all 
the credit, obviously, [there are] other factors always at play. But 
year after year for an entire decade, we've been going back and doing 
the same work, hitting them year after year."

The exercise, made possible through helicopter assistance from CFB 
Comox, generally covers an area beginning in Duncan and heading north 
up the Island.

However, the search usually focuses on more isolated terrain further 
away from populated centres.

"The Comox Valley, for example, has some of those more remote, 
forested areas," Lagan said. "You know, you've got a significant 
amount of Crown land, there's not a lot of development in the 
outlying areas. You have, obviously, your core areas of Comox and 
Courtenay and Black Creek, but . relatively close to the inhabited 
areas are these somewhat remote settings where you can access and 
make these grows."

Lagan also said the grow-ops are generally positioned on slopes and 
close to natural irrigation sources, to maximize sunlight and water access.

While the air patrol portion of the patrol has concluded for the 
year, Lagan said local RCMP detachments would handle any remaining 
growops accessible by land.
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MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart