Pubdate: Thu, 17 Nov 2005
Source: Winnipeg Free Press (CN MB)
Copyright: 2005 Winnipeg Free Press
Contact:  http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/502
Author: Martin Cash
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/coke.htm (Cocaine)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?199 (Mandatory Minimum Sentencing)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)

MANITOBA MARIJUANA PROVING BIG EXPORT

MANITOBA is the source of an increasing amount of marijuana on the
streets of North Dakota, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency.

The recently released DEA report on North Dakota says that drug gangs
from B.C. and Manitoba are using the sparsely populated North
Dakota/Manitoba border region to slip the drugs across the border.

Tory justice critic Kelvin Goertzen said the DEA and other U.S.
agencies say there is increasing evidence from drug busts in North
Dakota that the amount of pot originating from Manitoba has increased
dramatically.

He said the province needs to do a better job stopping the large-scale
grow-ops in Manitoba.

"We are lax in highway presence," Goertzen said. "There are massive
grow-ops in rural Manitoba -- in WestMan and EastMan. They have to
clamp down on those grow-ops and make sure the drugs are not on the
highways." Goertzen acknowledged that police have been successful
lately in shutting down some large large-ops in rural Manitoba, but
said there needs to be a greater police presence on the highways and
at the border. He said there is also continuing concern about cocaine,
crystal meth and guns coming into Canada from across the U.S. border.

Justice minister Gord Mackintosh said the opposition critic was mostly
criticizing the U.S. border patrol because they are the ones
responsible for controlling what enters the U.S.

But he said police agencies in Manitoba have taken steps to realign
units to focus on both gangs and drugs at the same time and there has
been some success in intercepting drugs on the highway at Falcon Lake
and Headingley.

Mackintosh was also concerned about having the federal justice
department toughen the mandatory minimum penalties for large-scale
grow-ops and grow-ops run by organized crime.

"We have been demanding a change, and we have not seen much action,"
he said. "U.S. penalties for marijuana production are far stronger
than Canadian penalties." 
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake