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Marijuana industry booming in Canada
Compare the Canadian marajuana violence with the actions of labor unions in
the United States. Using the same logic, labor unions should be outlawed. Amen! Holy smokes! Bob Crantz "jlrogers±³©" wrote in message ... http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp.../ts_csm/odrugs TORONTO - On the street it's called Northern Lights, Ontario Hydro, and B.C. bud. It's one of Canada's biggest agricultural exports - a potent form of marijuana cultivated in sprawling "grow houses," worth an estimated US$4 billion to $7 billion annually. Much of it is smuggled into the US. Once hidden in farming communities and well-heeled suburbs, grow operations - indoor nurseries with high-tech lighting and temperature controls - have been thrust into the national spotlight. Thursday Canada buried four young Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers who were killed during a bust in rural Alberta March 3. The Alberta grow house was just one of thousands across Canada. Here in Ontario, police say indoor pot operations have risen 250 percent in the past four years. And Vancouver is home to some 7,000 "grow ops" at any time, police say. The tragedy - the deadliest incident for Canada's national police force in 120 years - has ignited debate as Canadians begin to question whether liberal attitudes toward marijuana and lenient laws enacted over the past two decades have contributed to the drug boom. "It's really got people talking about the problem," says Marc Pinault, staff sergeant with the Ottawa Police Service's drug unit. "It's pretty clear that we produce a pile of pot, and it's really good stuff. I don't know that that's something we should be really proud of." Drugs moving east British Columbia has long been the hub of sophisticated, high-tech nurseries capable of producing pot with nearly 30 times the kick of what was found on the street a decade ago, according to the Drug Enforcement Agency. Sergeant Pinault says the increasing numbers of massive growing operations - once largely the preserve of Asian gangs and bikers on the West Coast - indicate the problem is moving East into provinces like Ontario and Quebec. Tom Stamatakis, a Vancouver police officer and a member of the Canadian Professional Police Association, says criminals across the country are modeling their operations after those found in and around Vancouver. For example, he says, grow houses are increasingly found in upscale areas of the city as criminals ply their trade behind picket fences and a facade of respectability. Inside, they're a hotbed of danger - rigged with booby traps to ward off intruders and noxious chemical compounds that pose serious health threats. But those aren't the only perils. DEA special agent Rodney Benson of Seattle says recent busts have also netted a pile of automatic weapons and explosive devices. "We're definitely seeing more violence," explains Mr. Benson, who recently oversaw a year long, cross- border sting called Operation Hockey Bag, in which investigators charged 22 people and seized more than 400 lbs. of marijuana, along with $3.4 million and a dozen firearms. "It's not just weapons - it's what we're seeing from the organization. They rule and intimidate from within." RCMP investigators are still sifting through the evidence, trying to find out what led to the killing of the four officers last week. The incident began as an attempt to repossess a pickup truck but ballooned into a larger investigation after the marijuana growing operation was discovered. The gunman, Jim Roszko, killed the officers and later turned a high-powered, semiautomatic weapon on himself. Canadian officials stress that it was an isolated act of extreme violence - and they hope to keep it that way. Many, like Mr. Stamatakis of Vancouver, say that Canadian lawmakers are too lenient in meting out penalties for those involved in growing operations contributing to the drug explosion. "When even the outgoing prime minister [Jean Chrétien] makes a flippant comment like, 'What's the big deal about marijuana? I've probably had a few puffs myself.' That sends the wrong message to the community and the courts," Stamatakis says. Softer laws for using, harder for selling There has been a major push to decriminalize marijuana across the country in recent years. Canada was the first country to regulate its medicinal use, in 1999. However, while the government has recently moved to introduce softer penalties for possession, penalties for growers could get stiffer. A marijuana bill, reintroduced in November, advocates that possession of up to 15 grams would be punishable by fines of C$100 to C$150 ($85 to $125), but would no longer lead to a criminal record. For growers, those caught with more than three plants, face up to five years in jail, or 18 months plus a C$25,000 ($20,700) fine. Those caught with more than 25 plants could face 10 years in jail, while the bill provides a maximum sentence of up to 14 years for operations with more than 50 plants. Last week, Public Safety Minister Anne McLellan issued a warning in the wake of the shootings, telling judges that they will be forced to explain their decisions in writing if jail terms are not imposed on those who grow plants. Under Canadian laws, criminals face a maximum seven-year jail term. In practice, however, many people convicted of growing marijuana receive sentences of little more than a few months, police say. Criminologist Patrick Parnaby says the events of last week are likely to lead to stiffer penalties. When something like narcotics is intimately tied to violence, there is going to be a powerful public backlash, says the associate professor at the University of Guelph in Ontario. "Stricter laws will make the public feel a whole lot better," he says. But many users pushing for decriminalization couldn't disagree more. Blair Longley, leader of the federal Marijuana Party, says legalization would wipe out criminal enterprises across the country. "They've just used this [the Alberta shootings] as an excuse to crack down and enforce outdated laws," says Mr. Longley. "In reality, liberalizing the laws would mean you would get rid of almost all the profits and, therefore, all the crime." -- jlrogers±³© Beaten by George W. Bush! Now that's funny! |
Why don't they make up their frozen little minds? Lax the laws for
use, but increase penalties for growing? Either legalize it or don't! WTF? Scotty "jlrogers±³©" wrote in message ... http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp...d=2352&e=3&u=/ csm/20050311/ts_csm/odrugs TORONTO - On the street it's called Northern Lights, Ontario Hydro, and B.C. bud. It's one of Canada's biggest agricultural exports - a potent form of marijuana cultivated in sprawling "grow houses," worth an estimated US$4 billion to $7 billion annually. Much of it is smuggled into the US. Once hidden in farming communities and well-heeled suburbs, grow operations - indoor nurseries with high-tech lighting and temperature controls - have been thrust into the national spotlight. Thursday Canada buried four young Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers who were killed during a bust in rural Alberta March 3. The Alberta grow house was just one of thousands across Canada. Here in Ontario, police say indoor pot operations have risen 250 percent in the past four years. And Vancouver is home to some 7,000 "grow ops" at any time, police say. The tragedy - the deadliest incident for Canada's national police force in 120 years - has ignited debate as Canadians begin to question whether liberal attitudes toward marijuana and lenient laws enacted over the past two decades have contributed to the drug boom. "It's really got people talking about the problem," says Marc Pinault, staff sergeant with the Ottawa Police Service's drug unit. "It's pretty clear that we produce a pile of pot, and it's really good stuff. I don't know that that's something we should be really proud of." Drugs moving east British Columbia has long been the hub of sophisticated, high-tech nurseries capable of producing pot with nearly 30 times the kick of what was found on the street a decade ago, according to the Drug Enforcement Agency. Sergeant Pinault says the increasing numbers of massive growing operations - once largely the preserve of Asian gangs and bikers on the West Coast - indicate the problem is moving East into provinces like Ontario and Quebec. Tom Stamatakis, a Vancouver police officer and a member of the Canadian Professional Police Association, says criminals across the country are modeling their operations after those found in and around Vancouver. For example, he says, grow houses are increasingly found in upscale areas of the city as criminals ply their trade behind picket fences and a facade of respectability. Inside, they're a hotbed of danger - rigged with booby traps to ward off intruders and noxious chemical compounds that pose serious health threats. But those aren't the only perils. DEA special agent Rodney Benson of Seattle says recent busts have also netted a pile of automatic weapons and explosive devices. "We're definitely seeing more violence," explains Mr. Benson, who recently oversaw a year long, cross- border sting called Operation Hockey Bag, in which investigators charged 22 people and seized more than 400 lbs. of marijuana, along with $3.4 million and a dozen firearms. "It's not just weapons - it's what we're seeing from the organization. They rule and intimidate from within." RCMP investigators are still sifting through the evidence, trying to find out what led to the killing of the four officers last week. The incident began as an attempt to repossess a pickup truck but ballooned into a larger investigation after the marijuana growing operation was discovered. The gunman, Jim Roszko, killed the officers and later turned a high-powered, semiautomatic weapon on himself. Canadian officials stress that it was an isolated act of extreme violence - and they hope to keep it that way. Many, like Mr. Stamatakis of Vancouver, say that Canadian lawmakers are too lenient in meting out penalties for those involved in growing operations contributing to the drug explosion. "When even the outgoing prime minister [Jean Chrétien] makes a flippant comment like, 'What's the big deal about marijuana? I've probably had a few puffs myself.' That sends the wrong message to the community and the courts," Stamatakis says. Softer laws for using, harder for selling There has been a major push to decriminalize marijuana across the country in recent years. Canada was the first country to regulate its medicinal use, in 1999. However, while the government has recently moved to introduce softer penalties for possession, penalties for growers could get stiffer. A marijuana bill, reintroduced in November, advocates that possession of up to 15 grams would be punishable by fines of C$100 to C$150 ($85 to $125), but would no longer lead to a criminal record. For growers, those caught with more than three plants, face up to five years in jail, or 18 months plus a C$25,000 ($20,700) fine. Those caught with more than 25 plants could face 10 years in jail, while the bill provides a maximum sentence of up to 14 years for operations with more than 50 plants. Last week, Public Safety Minister Anne McLellan issued a warning in the wake of the shootings, telling judges that they will be forced to explain their decisions in writing if jail terms are not imposed on those who grow plants. Under Canadian laws, criminals face a maximum seven-year jail term. In practice, however, many people convicted of growing marijuana receive sentences of little more than a few months, police say. Criminologist Patrick Parnaby says the events of last week are likely to lead to stiffer penalties. When something like narcotics is intimately tied to violence, there is going to be a powerful public backlash, says the associate professor at the University of Guelph in Ontario. "Stricter laws will make the public feel a whole lot better," he says. But many users pushing for decriminalization couldn't disagree more. Blair Longley, leader of the federal Marijuana Party, says legalization would wipe out criminal enterprises across the country. "They've just used this [the Alberta shootings] as an excuse to crack down and enforce outdated laws," says Mr. Longley. "In reality, liberalizing the laws would mean you would get rid of almost all the profits and, therefore, all the crime." -- jlrogers±³© Beaten by George W. Bush! Now that's funny! |
Couple of items need correction....
It was not a grow-op bust.... that was media hype... it was for stolen vehicles and in response to a call from the local sheriff attempting to serve a summons. They found only a dozen plants in his garage and a half dozen stolen vehicles in different stages of being stripped down for parts. The person who committed the crime was a life long felon with a history of violence.... and he had a lot of guns contrary to the Canadian Firearms laws. The 4 officers were 1st year rookies..... the sheriff had relayed he last saw the felon heading out to the field with a rifle. CM "jlrogers±³©" wrote in message ... http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp.../ts_csm/odrugs TORONTO - On the street it's called Northern Lights, Ontario Hydro, and B.C. bud. It's one of Canada's biggest agricultural exports - a potent form of marijuana cultivated in sprawling "grow houses," worth an estimated US$4 billion to $7 billion annually. Much of it is smuggled into the US. Once hidden in farming communities and well-heeled suburbs, grow operations - indoor nurseries with high-tech lighting and temperature controls - have been thrust into the national spotlight. Thursday Canada buried four young Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers who were killed during a bust in rural Alberta March 3. The Alberta grow house was just one of thousands across Canada. Here in Ontario, police say indoor pot operations have risen 250 percent in the past four years. And Vancouver is home to some 7,000 "grow ops" at any time, police say. The tragedy - the deadliest incident for Canada's national police force in 120 years - has ignited debate as Canadians begin to question whether liberal attitudes toward marijuana and lenient laws enacted over the past two decades have contributed to the drug boom. "It's really got people talking about the problem," says Marc Pinault, staff sergeant with the Ottawa Police Service's drug unit. "It's pretty clear that we produce a pile of pot, and it's really good stuff. I don't know that that's something we should be really proud of." Drugs moving east British Columbia has long been the hub of sophisticated, high-tech nurseries capable of producing pot with nearly 30 times the kick of what was found on the street a decade ago, according to the Drug Enforcement Agency. Sergeant Pinault says the increasing numbers of massive growing operations - once largely the preserve of Asian gangs and bikers on the West Coast - indicate the problem is moving East into provinces like Ontario and Quebec. Tom Stamatakis, a Vancouver police officer and a member of the Canadian Professional Police Association, says criminals across the country are modeling their operations after those found in and around Vancouver. For example, he says, grow houses are increasingly found in upscale areas of the city as criminals ply their trade behind picket fences and a facade of respectability. Inside, they're a hotbed of danger - rigged with booby traps to ward off intruders and noxious chemical compounds that pose serious health threats. But those aren't the only perils. DEA special agent Rodney Benson of Seattle says recent busts have also netted a pile of automatic weapons and explosive devices. "We're definitely seeing more violence," explains Mr. Benson, who recently oversaw a year long, cross- border sting called Operation Hockey Bag, in which investigators charged 22 people and seized more than 400 lbs. of marijuana, along with $3.4 million and a dozen firearms. "It's not just weapons - it's what we're seeing from the organization. They rule and intimidate from within." RCMP investigators are still sifting through the evidence, trying to find out what led to the killing of the four officers last week. The incident began as an attempt to repossess a pickup truck but ballooned into a larger investigation after the marijuana growing operation was discovered. The gunman, Jim Roszko, killed the officers and later turned a high-powered, semiautomatic weapon on himself. Canadian officials stress that it was an isolated act of extreme violence - and they hope to keep it that way. Many, like Mr. Stamatakis of Vancouver, say that Canadian lawmakers are too lenient in meting out penalties for those involved in growing operations contributing to the drug explosion. "When even the outgoing prime minister [Jean Chrétien] makes a flippant comment like, 'What's the big deal about marijuana? I've probably had a few puffs myself.' That sends the wrong message to the community and the courts," Stamatakis says. Softer laws for using, harder for selling There has been a major push to decriminalize marijuana across the country in recent years. Canada was the first country to regulate its medicinal use, in 1999. However, while the government has recently moved to introduce softer penalties for possession, penalties for growers could get stiffer. A marijuana bill, reintroduced in November, advocates that possession of up to 15 grams would be punishable by fines of C$100 to C$150 ($85 to $125), but would no longer lead to a criminal record. For growers, those caught with more than three plants, face up to five years in jail, or 18 months plus a C$25,000 ($20,700) fine. Those caught with more than 25 plants could face 10 years in jail, while the bill provides a maximum sentence of up to 14 years for operations with more than 50 plants. Last week, Public Safety Minister Anne McLellan issued a warning in the wake of the shootings, telling judges that they will be forced to explain their decisions in writing if jail terms are not imposed on those who grow plants. Under Canadian laws, criminals face a maximum seven-year jail term. In practice, however, many people convicted of growing marijuana receive sentences of little more than a few months, police say. Criminologist Patrick Parnaby says the events of last week are likely to lead to stiffer penalties. When something like narcotics is intimately tied to violence, there is going to be a powerful public backlash, says the associate professor at the University of Guelph in Ontario. "Stricter laws will make the public feel a whole lot better," he says. But many users pushing for decriminalization couldn't disagree more. Blair Longley, leader of the federal Marijuana Party, says legalization would wipe out criminal enterprises across the country. "They've just used this [the Alberta shootings] as an excuse to crack down and enforce outdated laws," says Mr. Longley. "In reality, liberalizing the laws would mean you would get rid of almost all the profits and, therefore, all the crime." -- jlrogers±³© Beaten by George W. Bush! Now that's funny! |
Right!
Other than to say I ain't biting ~ I ain't biting! Scout "Bob Crantz" wrote in message ink.net... Compare the Canadian marajuana violence with the actions of labor unions in the United States. Using the same logic, labor unions should be outlawed. Amen! Holy smokes! Bob Crantz "jlrogers±³©" wrote in message ... http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp.../ts_csm/odrugs TORONTO - On the street it's called Northern Lights, Ontario Hydro, and B.C. bud. It's one of Canada's biggest agricultural exports - a potent form of marijuana cultivated in sprawling "grow houses," worth an estimated US$4 billion to $7 billion annually. Much of it is smuggled into the US. Once hidden in farming communities and well-heeled suburbs, grow operations - indoor nurseries with high-tech lighting and temperature controls - have been thrust into the national spotlight. Thursday Canada buried four young Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers who were killed during a bust in rural Alberta March 3. The Alberta grow house was just one of thousands across Canada. Here in Ontario, police say indoor pot operations have risen 250 percent in the past four years. And Vancouver is home to some 7,000 "grow ops" at any time, police say. The tragedy - the deadliest incident for Canada's national police force in 120 years - has ignited debate as Canadians begin to question whether liberal attitudes toward marijuana and lenient laws enacted over the past two decades have contributed to the drug boom. "It's really got people talking about the problem," says Marc Pinault, staff sergeant with the Ottawa Police Service's drug unit. "It's pretty clear that we produce a pile of pot, and it's really good stuff. I don't know that that's something we should be really proud of." Drugs moving east British Columbia has long been the hub of sophisticated, high-tech nurseries capable of producing pot with nearly 30 times the kick of what was found on the street a decade ago, according to the Drug Enforcement Agency. Sergeant Pinault says the increasing numbers of massive growing operations - once largely the preserve of Asian gangs and bikers on the West Coast - indicate the problem is moving East into provinces like Ontario and Quebec. Tom Stamatakis, a Vancouver police officer and a member of the Canadian Professional Police Association, says criminals across the country are modeling their operations after those found in and around Vancouver. For example, he says, grow houses are increasingly found in upscale areas of the city as criminals ply their trade behind picket fences and a facade of respectability. Inside, they're a hotbed of danger - rigged with booby traps to ward off intruders and noxious chemical compounds that pose serious health threats. But those aren't the only perils. DEA special agent Rodney Benson of Seattle says recent busts have also netted a pile of automatic weapons and explosive devices. "We're definitely seeing more violence," explains Mr. Benson, who recently oversaw a year long, cross- border sting called Operation Hockey Bag, in which investigators charged 22 people and seized more than 400 lbs. of marijuana, along with $3.4 million and a dozen firearms. "It's not just weapons - it's what we're seeing from the organization. They rule and intimidate from within." RCMP investigators are still sifting through the evidence, trying to find out what led to the killing of the four officers last week. The incident began as an attempt to repossess a pickup truck but ballooned into a larger investigation after the marijuana growing operation was discovered. The gunman, Jim Roszko, killed the officers and later turned a high-powered, semiautomatic weapon on himself. Canadian officials stress that it was an isolated act of extreme violence - and they hope to keep it that way. Many, like Mr. Stamatakis of Vancouver, say that Canadian lawmakers are too lenient in meting out penalties for those involved in growing operations contributing to the drug explosion. "When even the outgoing prime minister [Jean Chrétien] makes a flippant comment like, 'What's the big deal about marijuana? I've probably had a few puffs myself.' That sends the wrong message to the community and the courts," Stamatakis says. Softer laws for using, harder for selling There has been a major push to decriminalize marijuana across the country in recent years. Canada was the first country to regulate its medicinal use, in 1999. However, while the government has recently moved to introduce softer penalties for possession, penalties for growers could get stiffer. A marijuana bill, reintroduced in November, advocates that possession of up to 15 grams would be punishable by fines of C$100 to C$150 ($85 to $125), but would no longer lead to a criminal record. For growers, those caught with more than three plants, face up to five years in jail, or 18 months plus a C$25,000 ($20,700) fine. Those caught with more than 25 plants could face 10 years in jail, while the bill provides a maximum sentence of up to 14 years for operations with more than 50 plants. Last week, Public Safety Minister Anne McLellan issued a warning in the wake of the shootings, telling judges that they will be forced to explain their decisions in writing if jail terms are not imposed on those who grow plants. Under Canadian laws, criminals face a maximum seven-year jail term. In practice, however, many people convicted of growing marijuana receive sentences of little more than a few months, police say. Criminologist Patrick Parnaby says the events of last week are likely to lead to stiffer penalties. When something like narcotics is intimately tied to violence, there is going to be a powerful public backlash, says the associate professor at the University of Guelph in Ontario. "Stricter laws will make the public feel a whole lot better," he says. But many users pushing for decriminalization couldn't disagree more. Blair Longley, leader of the federal Marijuana Party, says legalization would wipe out criminal enterprises across the country. "They've just used this [the Alberta shootings] as an excuse to crack down and enforce outdated laws," says Mr. Longley. "In reality, liberalizing the laws would mean you would get rid of almost all the profits and, therefore, all the crime." -- jlrogers±³© Beaten by George W. Bush! Now that's funny! |
"Bob Crantz" wrote in message Compare the Canadian marajuana violence with the actions of labor unions in the United States. Using the same logic, labor unions should be outlawed. Amen! Holy smokes! That Rastafarians think so. Max |
"Capt. Mooron" wrote The 4 officers were 1st year rookies..... as opposed to 3rd year rookies? |
CM,
Your logic is FU again. That Canadian Weed is basically grown for US consumption. It will be illegal in the States as long as Canadian Bribe money is available for our elected representatives. The industry is US Dollar driven. SO---- Getting it across the border is still a crime,as of now. Big bucks to be made like in the Booze Running Days of the early Thirties. Ole Thom http://community.webtv.net/tassail/ThomsPage |
You'd best re-read my post... I didn't comment on the specifics of pot
production... so your admonishment regarding my logic is in itself erroneous. I stated that the article jlrogers presented was in error. I corrected the presented facts to reflect the actual situation. CM "Thom Stewart" wrote in message ... CM, Your logic is FU again. That Canadian Weed is basically grown for US consumption. It will be illegal in the States as long as Canadian Bribe money is available for our elected representatives. The industry is US Dollar driven. SO---- Getting it across the border is still a crime,as of now. Big bucks to be made like in the Booze Running Days of the early Thirties. Ole Thom http://community.webtv.net/tassail/ThomsPage |
"Bob Crantz" wrote in message ink.net... Compare the Canadian marajuana violence with the actions of labor unions in the United States. Using the same logic, labor unions should be outlawed. Most labour unions seem to think that people should get paid even if they don't produce anything. If labour unions had their way, then the American Dream would collapse in no time at all. Labour Unions and Prosperity are mutually exclusive. Are you some sort of communist, Bob? Regards Donal -- |
Donal,
No wonder my Irish ancestors left you behind. When they arrived in America, America took a big **** on them. They worked the coal mines for less than their daily bread. When they'd had enough, they stood up for themselves, fought for fair wages, and made such a stink that even the president of the US took note and began to make changes in the law to protect the working man. A lot of blood got spilled but they figured if they were gonna die, it would be at the end of a gun and not by starvation. Now you and others here are trying to say that people are all nicey nice, and the laws wouldn't allow that to happen today. RIGHT! That's why business is moving over seas, so they can treat those people like ****, the way big business treated Americans 100 years ago, and less. This mentality of screw the little guy will bite them in the ass when the little guys get together and start cutting frigging heads off. And by the way, the mentality of "the worker gets **** while the sales-businessman gets all the profit" is what got the Jews hated in Germany. I have a copy of an 1895 encyclopedia I'd love to share with you in which it discusses the "growing" problem between German craftsman and Jewish business owners. It's really quite interesting, considering when it was written. Scout "Donal" wrote in message ... "Bob Crantz" wrote in message ink.net... Compare the Canadian marajuana violence with the actions of labor unions in the United States. Using the same logic, labor unions should be outlawed. Most labour unions seem to think that people should get paid even if they don't produce anything. If labour unions had their way, then the American Dream would collapse in no time at all. Labour Unions and Prosperity are mutually exclusive. Are you some sort of communist, Bob? Regards Donal -- |
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