Ask any of the 17,500 marijuana grow ops in British Columbia about revenue, and according to the results of a new study, the answer would be booming. In fact, the study, commissioned by the Fraser Institute, estimates that the underground B.C. industry is worth $7-billion -- the largest in the country. The report claims that the sector is doing so well -- almost as strong as the province's forestry industry, which posted $9-billion in revenue for 2004 -- that B.C. should legalize the drug and tax it. [continues 597 words]
When a home in a tony Vancouver neighbourhood makes an international marijuana magazine because it houses a large growing operation, you know that things aren't necessarily what they seem on the West Coast. The provincial economy is no different. British Columbia is experiencing a financial downturn, at the same time that it is home to the most vibrant underground economy in Canada, according to the Business Council of B.C. The economic dark side is estimated to account for 15 per cent of the province's GDP or $20-billion a year. This figure exceeds the annual sales of its forest industry. [continues 750 words]
