Pubdate: Thu, 15 Jan 2004
Source: London Free Press (CN ON)
Copyright: 2004 The London Free Press a division of Sun Media Corporation.
Contact:  http://www.lfpress.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/243
Author: Antonella Artuso

POT CALLED 'SERIOUS ISSUE'

The Premier Says Illegal Marijuana Operations Are No Laughing Matter

ANTONELLA ARTUSO, Free Press Queen's Park Bureau Chief

TORONTO -- There's nothing funny about the province going to pot, Premier 
Dalton McGuinty says. Unlike regular citizens who are allegedly provoked to 
giggles by the massive marijuana bust at a Barrie beer plant, McGuinty said 
the proliferation of illegal grow operations is no laughing matter.

"I think it's a very serious issue,' McGuinty said yesterday. "It's 
becoming a too commonplace practice in Ontario. It has all kinds of 
problems connected with it."

Randall Barrs, the lawyer for six of the men charged in the pot bust, has 
said that the public is "amused" by the police discovery.

Community Safety Minister Monte Kwinter said numerous health and safety 
problems are associated with the illegal grow houses.

"There's lots of very, very adverse repercussions from the growing of pot," 
Kwinter said. "This particular facility in Barrie is the mother of all pot 
installations; it's very serious."

Kwinter said grow houses steal an estimated $80 million a year in 
electricity and pose a fire risk to neighbours.

Police officers often find children living in these homes in a toxic mix of 
mould and pesticides.

"Plus, of course, this whole thing is being really funded by organized 
crime," Kwinter said.

McGuinty supports the decriminalization of simple possession charges but he 
also favours tougher penalties for grow house offences.

Kwinter said decriminalizing simple pot possession doesn't imply support 
for drug use, especially the potent weed grown in hothouse conditions.

"I don't think anybody's suggesting that pot is great and everybody should 
be doing it," Kwinter said.
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