Pubdate: Wed, 09 Mar 2005 Source: Calgary Sun, The (CN AB) Copyright: 2005 The Calgary Sun Contact: http://www.fyicalgary.com/calsun.shtml Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/67 Author: Kathleen Harris, Ottawa Bureau Cited: New York Times article http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v05/n360/a04.html Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/decrim.htm (Decrim/Legalization) GROW-OP ATTACK STRATEGY SOUGHT OTTAWA -- United in the belief Canada must declare war on marijuana grow-ops, MPs are going to battle over how to combat the deadly menace. The strategy to stamp out the commercial grow houses -- often booby-trapped and linked to organized crime -- will take centre stage next month as the Commons justice committee pores over the plan to decriminalize pot. Under the Liberal government's proposal, maximum prison sentences for large-scale cultivators would double to 14 years from the current seven. Tory MP Mark Warawa called the boost a "naive" attempt at tackling a problem escalating at an alarming rate. "Canada is one of the most lenient nations when it comes to en-forcing our drug laws," he said. "For producing marijuana, the fines are an average of $1,500 which is considered just a small cost of doing business. "For a small investment, organized crime can make millions of dollars." Because of Canada's "soft" approach, pot is flowing across the border to the U.S. where it's traded for cash, cocaine and illegal firearms, he said. Hiking maximum sentences is meaningless since courts don't im-pose anything close to the maximum, Warawa said. "Only a fraction of those convicted actually do jail time, and even then it's only minor jail time," he said. In the Commons, Tory MP Belinda Stronach pointed to a New York Times report on how Canada's burgeoning grow-op and trafficking industry is causing huge security concerns for the U.S. and urged Ottawa to withdraw its "misguided" pot bill. "The prime minister and this government are ignoring warnings from the U.S. ambassador that there will be consequences resulting from decriminalization causing costly cross-border delays," she said. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake