Pubdate: Mon, 10 Nov 2003
Source: Province, The (CN BC)
Copyright: 2003 The Province
Contact:  http://www.canada.com/vancouver/theprovince/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/476
Author: Marc Emery

FORGET THE GROW-OPS, POLICE THE SCHOOLS

Rollie Woods a member of the Vancouver police wrote to The Province 
inviting school officials and the public to pick "which police service they 
would like eliminated to provide [additional policing in schools]."

I have a suggestion. End Growbusters. Canada spends more than $340 million, 
largely in raiding marijuana grow-ops, to police the marijuana industry.

Police organizations testifying to the Parliamentary Committee on marijuana 
legislation last week, advocated for more resources for grow-op busting and 
asked for mandatory minimum jail sentences.

More police and mandatory jail sentences require hundreds of millions of 
additional dollars, while depleting police resources for serious crime and 
Vancouver's escalating property crime.

At the House of Commons committee hearings, only the police organizations 
and MADD were in favour of more punishment, more prohibition and more 
taxpayer expense in a futile use of our police force.

Marc Emery,

Vancouver Marijuana Party
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MAP posted-by: Larry Stevens