Pubdate: Tue, 30 Sep 2003 Source: Powell River Peak (CN BC) Copyright: 2003 Peak Publishing Ltd. Contact: http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?brd=1998 Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/734 Author: Isabelle Southcott Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada) HARVESTING AN ILLEGAL CROP A Peak Reporter Rides Along As Police Cull Marijuana Plants Cultivated North Of Town Whoever said police work is glamorous hasn't been traipsing through thick undergrowth on a marijuana hunt with Powell River RCMP. Wielding heavy-duty garden cutters and a hand-held global positioning system (GPS), three RCMP members drove out of Powell River to an area just north of Wild-wood last week with this reporter in tow. The sun warmed us as we whacked our way through the bush toward a point on a GPS plotted earlier this year by officers during a helicopter ride of the area. "We look for particular growing conditions," explained RCMP Constable Bob Purslow. Sun exposure and water sources are of prime importance. Police try to harvest the plants before growers do. Sometimes they succeed, sometimes they don't. It's September and the race is on to see who will harvest the marijuana first. "It's not just us out here," said Purslow. "It's other growers who will try to harvest these plants too." At two locations, growers beat police to the plants. Still, during the course of a four-hour mission, police arrived at most sites ahead of the growers. Although no one knows exactly how much marijuana is grown in Powell River, police believe it is a significant amount. About 50 per cent of marijuana grown in this area is produced outdoors, with the remaining half grown inside. The plants are budding early this year, noted Purslow, attributing this to the hot weather on the Sunshine Coast. The female plant produces buds to attract pollen from the male plant. As soon as the female plant is pollinated by a male, her bud produces seeds. If there are no male plants around, the female plant produces bigger buds as she continues to try to attract a male. And it's this bud that growers want. The more bud there is, the more valuable the plant, he explained. "I've seen bud on some plants as big as my arm," said Purslow. Marijuana comes in many different varieties, but even the novice can spot the unique colouring of the area's infamous Time Warp. The purplish leaves on this short, stocky plant are unmistakable. Pointing to a discovery of several plants, Purslow said the THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) content is much stronger today than it was 20 years ago. And it's the THC that gets people high. "We're seeing THC levels in the high teens to early 20 percentages," said RCMP Constable Gurmakh Parmar. "It used to be in the single-digit figures." The pungent smell of pot is unique, and it's overwhelming odour made me feel lightheaded as I followed an officer laden with plants out of the bush. "We're not finished yet," said Parmar grimly during a short water break. Soaked in sweat and covered in scratches from blackberry vines, we carried on. "How much do you find?" I asked the team. Constable Mike Thom, a seasoned veteran with 15 years in Powell River, has been on many expeditions similar this one. "We're very lucky if we find 30 per cent of it. And that's a good year," he said. Most of the marijuana growing in the bush isn't for personal consumption. "This is BC bud that is going across the border and coming back as cocaine and crack," said Purslow. A plant is worth about $1,000 on average, depending on its size and the amount of bud on it. Marijuana is still illegal in Canada despite a recent provincial court ruling to the contrary for simple possession. "If I see anyone with any amount of marijuana I'll be seizing it. It's still a controlled substance under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act," said Purslow, pointing to the federal statute. However, it is up to federal Crown to approve charges. Police seized 140 plants from one area so far this year. They also took 200 plants from a greenhouse operation in the Lund area a few weeks ago. By the end of my assignment, 60 plants were stowed in the vehicle. That's $60,000 worth of dope-give or take a few grand either way-that police have prevented from hitting the streets. - --- MAP posted-by: Thunder