Pubdate: Wed, 11 Apr 2012
Source: Maple Ridge News (CN BC)
Copyright: 2012 Maple Ridge News
Contact:  http://www.mapleridgenews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1328
Author: Monisha Martins

GROW OP BUSTS CUT IN HALF

Marijuana busts in Maple Ridge dropped by half in the span of a year, 
according to statistics from Ridge Meadows RCMP, who suspect a 
proliferation of Health Canada licenses is to blame for the decrease.

Year-end figures show police took down 34 grow operations in Maple 
Ridge in 2011 compared to 63 in 2010, while Pitt Meadows, where an 
electrical safety inspection program and bylaw to prohibit 
designated-growing are in place, saw three grow ops searched in 2011 
and one in 2010.

The RCMP officer in charge of the Ridge Meadows detachment believes 
Health Canada licenses, which allow people to grow marijuana legally, 
are contributing to the significant drop.

Supt. Dave Walsh doesn't have the numbers or evidence to prove his 
suspicions, but he's seen illegal grow operations in Maple Ridge and 
Pitt Meadows turn into legal ones in recent years.

He estimates that 80 per cent of the illegal growers from before now 
have Health Canada licenses.

"That's my opinion. Is it something I can confirm? I don't have the 
hard data to confirm that."

As of Oct. 30 - 12,225 people hold an "authorization to possess" 
dried marijuana license under the Marijuana Medical Access 
Regulations in Canada.

Of those, 7,277 people hold a "personal use production license," 
while 2,163 more hold a "designated-person" license, which allows 
someone else to grow their marijuana.

Health Canada is proposing to phase out the production of marijuana 
for medical purposes in homes and communities. But those changes 
won't come before 2014.

Police are not given a list of legal growers, so officers conduct 
investigations that might last a year or two, only to find out a few 
days before they obtain a warrant that the marijuana being grown is legal.

"It's a lot of wasted resources," said Walsh.

"It's a joke. It's well known that crime has infiltrated the program. 
They pay people to go to doctors to get medical licenses, they'll buy 
medicinal licenses. We are no exception."

Advocates for the legalization of marijuana, though, are quick to 
point out that police claims are overblown.

Kirk Tousaw, president of the British Columbia chapter of End 
Prohibition and a practising lawyer, notes that obtaining a Health 
Canada license isn't easy.

"The number of medical marijuana licenses represent a drop in the 
vast ocean of marijuana being produced in B.C.," Tousaw said.

He also wonders why police are not keeping detailed statistics about 
how many once illegal growops are now legal.

"The idea that they don't have these numbers makes me curious as to 
why not," Tousaw added.

"Perhaps they don't want the numbers because they simply want to be 
able to speculate. I know the police don't like legal production of 
marijuana. I suspect they don't like it because it shatters the 
propaganda about growing marijuana that the police have been pushing 
for at least a decade."

Although police were unable to provide statistics, there have been at 
least two instances in the past year where grow ops that were 
previously illegal were found to have Health Canada licenses, 
including one near Westview secondary.

Tousaw said police claims are exaggerated.

"Abuse is minor. Licensing enables you to do it right, whereas 
prohibitions in many instances force you to do it wrong. I think 
police should be applauding medical licenses instead of criticizing them."
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom