Pubdate: Wed, 21 Jan 2004 Source: Mississauga News (CN ON) Copyright: The Mississauga News 2004 Contact: http://www.mississauganews.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/268 Author: Judy Imerson POT LUCK A RAW DEAL Before everyone gets too comfortable with new marijuana laws we should stand back and take a look at the ramifications the illegal drug trade is inflicting on our society. The bust of the huge pot lab in Barrie recently has put the national spotlight on the issue and certainly has drawn the attention of the Toronto media which has only just discovered what Peel Police have been complaining about for a long time -- that there is a real problem out there. Last year in Mississauga alone there were 240 illegal labs uncovered and police expect there are dozens more operating throughout the city. Most of these labs have been in rented units that have left unsuspecting landlords with huge bills, mostly for electricity, but also for damage which is not covered by insurance in these cases (some of the electric bills have come in as high as $50,000). Take it up a notch and you find that most of the backers of these extravagant operations are not gentlemen farmers but members of organized crime and the huge profits raised through the cultivation of marijuana is plowed right back into other illegal activities including the sale and purchase of other drugs, prostitution, extortion and the importation of guns, to name a few. Further, statistics released by the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police shows that most of the buildings used have been regular houses and that one in five schools in Peel Region were located nearby a growing operation. Nice. For police, what is even more frustrating is the general lack of concern from all quarters about the problem. That, coupled with the perception that marijuana is now totally legal in Canada leaves police fighting a public relations battle as they try to win the war on drugs. As some quietly marvel at the brashness of those who undertake such large marijuana growth operations right under our noses, the social costs are weighing heavily on a lot of people. Think about that the next time you spark one up. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom