Dear editor, Regarding the story "RCMP take 15,000 pot plants out of circulation" published in the Sept. 23 issue of the Victoria Star. Guess who is most pleased about this eradication policy. The 90-95 per cent of growers who will never be caught! This colossal waste of time and money is not only failing to fix things, it is, in fact, outrageously counterproductive. Think about it: if the police busted twice as many grows this year as last year, they would still only get about 20 per cent of them. And every time they bust one grow - indoor, outdoor, small or big - all they do is make the ones they don't catch that much more valuable. [continues 219 words]
Over the past month, as part of the RCMP's ongoing marijuana eradication efforts, nearly 15,000 outdoor marijuana plants have been seized. That amount of marijuana has the potential to create up to 7.5 million joints, which will no longer hit the streets. The seizures were made from more than 150 outdoor sites throughout New Brunswick. "Preventing and deterring marijuana production and trafficking are things we take very seriously," said RCMP Sgt. Claude Tremblay. "Marijuana is currently the most frequently abused drug by young people in New Brunswick, many of whom may be under the false impression that it is a soft, or harmless, drug. That's simply not true. Marijuana is a dangerous, illegal substance with the potential to cause serious impairment, and create lasting physical and psychological problems." [continues 84 words]
Regarding the news articles RCMP seize over 1,800 marijuana plants, published in the Sept. 2 issue of the Victoria Star I would like to ask what difference did this bust make? The answer is none. The recent outdoor marijuana "eradication" efforts by police are glaring examples of the futility of prohibition. Law enforcement efforts are not "stemming the tide" or "taking a bite out" of drugs, nor will they ever do so. It is all just an expensive show at taxpayer expense to give the public the illusion that something is being accomplished. [continues 192 words]
While the potato harvest is still a few weeks away, another type of harvest is yielding interesting results for police in both Madawaska and Victoria counties. On Aug. 25, District 10 RCMP, with ssistance from the Bathurst and Edmundston Regional Drug Unit, the RCMP's Integrated Border Enforcement Team and other local policing partners, seized over 800 marijuana plants from 12 different sites in Madawaska and Victoria counties. "This was enough marijuana to potentially produce over 400,000 marijuana joints," said RCMP Constable Yannick Gagnon. "These seizures will go a long way toward disrupting the activities of the organized criminal groups behind these operations." [continues 153 words]
Every time the police tear out one grow-op, they make the 90-95 per cent of grow-ops they will never catch all that much more valuable. In this way, they are subsidizing the dealers they don't catch. They know this, too, because all science and history on the subject supports this. It leads me to wonder just which side of the law these guys are really on. If the police really cared about reducing crime and drug use and protecting public safety, they would lobby for legalized regulation. [continues 69 words]
With the help of the public, RCMP continues to crackdown on drug trafficking in Carleton County. Last Thursday evening, District 7 RCMP - along with the Woodstock Police Force and the Woodstock Integrated Border Enforcement Unit (IBET) - executed a search warrant on a home in Windsor, following the assistance of the public. During the raid, RCMP Sgt. John de Winter said, officers seized in excess of 100 methamphetamine pills, a quantity of marijuana and over $1,000 in cash. "The amount of methamphetamine is a big concern to us to see popping up in our communities," said Sgt. de Winter. "We are seeing it in this area a lot more than we would like. [continues 301 words]
