Pubdate: Tue, 08 May 2012
Source: Kelowna Capital News (CN BC)
Copyright: 2012, West Partners Publishing Ltd.
Contact:  http://www.kelownacapnews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1294
Author: Kathy Michaels

CENTRAL OKANAGAN POT SEIZURES RANK TOPS IN B.C.

When it comes to busting B.C. bud growers, Kelowna's Mounties are at 
the top of their game, seizing more pot plants than any other 
detachment in the province.

"We've got an extremely hard working group of guys here (who) do 
everything they can do to take these down," said Const. Kris Clark.

What that's amounted to in the period from April 2011 to March 2012 
was 13,706 seized marijuana plants- a feat aided by a couple of large 
scale busts in the early months of this year. (See chart below.)

It's a record that dwarfed the plant seizures of other detachments, 
but is just the tip of the iceberg, regionally speaking.

"Kelowna has the most busts in that time period, but (the number) 
doubles when you add West Kelowna and Lake Country," said Clark.

In an attempt to identify what sets the Central Okanagan apart from 
other centres, Clark said that it's "a bit of a trend" that growers 
from the Lower Mainland relocate, and set up shop in cities with 
fewer police resources and lower real estate values.

Kelowna may not fit that profile, but surrounding areas do.

Another burgeoning trend buoying up busts locally is the misuse of 
Health Canada licences.

Those licences allow a limited amount of marijuana cultivation, for 
the sake of medical purposes, but quite often the allotment is exceeded.

"I don't really have stats on numbers-it's just, significant," said 
Clark, adding that it's not everyone who's abusing the system, but 
enough that it's noticeable.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom