Pubdate: Wed, 13 Jul 2005
Source: Powell River Peak (CN BC)
Copyright: 2005 Peak Publishing Ltd.
Contact:  http://www.prpeak.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/734
Author: Dr. Paul Martiquet
Note: Dr. Paul Martiquet is the medical health officer for Powell River.
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada)

HIGH COST OF MARIJUANA

Each week we read about some grow op being raided in Vancouver or 
Surrey, or some other big city neighbourhood. Less often we read in 
our local papers about the same bust happening in our own neighbourhoods.

Fewer busts are the result of smaller overall population, not fewer 
grow ops per capita. In our small communities we are no less likely 
to come to grips with the problems arising out of the cultivation of 
illegal crops.

How big a problem are marijuana growing operations? According to a 
study published earlier this year by the University College of the 
Fraser Valley (UCFV), between 1997 and 2000, the number of individual 
incidents of marijuana grow operations increased by over 220 per 
cent. Though the numbers levelled off after 2003, production did not: 
"The amount of marijuana produced each year in British Columbia is 
estimated to have increased from 19,729 kilos in 1997 to a seven-year 
high of 79,817 in 2003."

Another valuable comparison comes from Statistics Canada, which found 
that the rate of grow operations averages 27 per 100,000 population in Canada.

In BC, the number is 79.

Some will argue that this cash crop is a boon to local economies 
because it generates millions of dollars of revenue for growers who, 
in turn, spend some of it locally. Let us accept that for the moment. 
But what are the associated costs to our society? To our communities?

Grow ops mostly come in two forms. There is the small-scale, 
sometimes considered a mom-and-pop operation that is mostly engaged 
in cultivation for personal use and perhaps some small profit on the 
street. The small operation is not generally linked to organized crime groups.

Commercial operations at the other extreme are typically highly 
organized, sophisticated and connected to organized crime. These 
operations are there purely for profit--and they will act to guard 
their source of revenue.

Whether small or commercial, many of these grow ops protect their 
crops. The UCFV study lists other hazards found in grow ops: weapons, 
booby traps, explosives, chemical products and other drugs. As well, 
fire is one of the most common hazards, as grow ops have much higher 
incidence rates.

What about other costs to our communities? Leaving aside the obvious 
ones like smoking and encouraging people to use marijuana, we can 
identify many other negative results from these operations, including 
the mom-and-pop ones, by the way.

We will want to include the danger from electrical bypasses, damages 
to rented homes and firearms and other weapons used to defend against 
grow-op rip-offs. As if these were not enough, we must add in the 
pollution from wastes generated by the operations. These include 
chemicals--fertilizers, pH-adjusters, bleach, pesticides, herbicides 
and fungicides--and all manner of plastic and equipment tossed into 
landfills or left out in the bush.

In other words, while there may be some short-term fiscal benefit to 
grow-op money circulating in the economy, the social and community 
costs of growing marijuana far outweigh the minuscule benefits that 
might be claimed. As difficult as it is to measure many of these 
things, at least we can encourage some dialogue in our communities 
over these issues.

* Dr. Paul Martiquet is the medical health officer for Powell River.
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