Pubdate: Mon, 03 Mar 2003
Source: Kenora Daily Miner And News (CN ON)
Copyright: 2003 Kenora Daily Miner and News
Contact:  http://www.bowesnet.com/dailyminer/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/855
Author: Michael Jiggins

MARIJUANA GROW OPERATIONS TARGETED IN NEW INITIATIVE

Main electricity lines cut with an axe and hand spliced to steal power. 
Houses bought with cash and gutted to grow marijuana. Natural gas lines 
punctured to allow carbon monoxide to fill the house so the hydroponically 
grown plants will develop faster.

It's not the scene from some Hollywood movie or a gang run operation in a 
major city, but one Det. Sgt. John Horne of Northwestern Ontario's 
Tri-Force/Kenora Drug Unit says his officers are seeing increasingly in 
this region.

This week, Horne announced the drug unit has launched an initiative to 
crack down on the growing problem of marijuana grow houses before more can 
take root in Northwestern Ontario.

Already this year, Horne said drug enforcement officers have raided four 
grow houses where more than 100 plants were seized in each, an amount he 
called "very unusual for us."

"What we're trying to do is nip this in the bud E We've noticed the size of 
the grows are getting bigger and they all are in residential areas," he said.

One of those raids happened on Valentine's Day at a Wharf Street home in 
Kenora where officers found 99 marijuana plants and another 60 starter plants.

Further, there was a half kilogram of dried marijuana, 1.8 kgs of marijuana 
shake (parts of leaves and stems), three lighting systems, nine jars of 
marijuana soaking in isopropanol (to produce hash oil) and a large quantity 
of pills.

All of which had a street value of over $83,000, said Horne.

A 43-year-old man was arrested and charged with two counts of production of 
a controlled substance and possession for the purpose of trafficking. He 
was released and will appear in court in Kenora on March 24.

If he's convicted, Horne will be hoping for a tough penalty to get the 
message out to other would be pot farmers.

Horne repeated the call he's made previously for Ontario's courts to hand 
out stiffer sentences for those caught running hydroponic grow operations.

He notes a fine of even $10,000 for operators who purchase homes with cash 
is no disincentive for someone to get out of the business.

"A 1,000 plant grow could yield them $1 million E The courts don't realize 
how much money that they are making," he said.

"You don't like to say it, but somebody is going to have to get hurt before 
the government and the courts take this seriously."

According to Horne, people are already being hurt as a result of what he 
described as the spin-off crimes associated with marijuana selling and use.

"Marijuana is probably the major problem drug in the fact that the THC 
(tetrahydrocannibinol, the chemical producing the "high") is so high. The 
public is unaware of all the assaults and the thefts that are going on 
because people are trying to keep their habits going," he said. "Because 
marijuana is addictive."

The damage grow houses do to neighbourhoods is another problem.

Horne said the homes used by producers are often condemned because the 
extreme moisture inside produces mold and spores that infest every corner 
of the home.

When homes are torn down, that has an impact on property values, he said 
adding home insurance rates are being increased by companies as a result of 
settlements from claimants who unknowingly rented a house to producers 
(it's estimated there are 50,000 in Canada).

Electrical systems are also frequently overloaded and gas lines tampered 
with, creating an increased fire hazard in the neighbourhood.
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