Pubdate: Sun, 19 Oct 2008
Source: Calgary Herald (CN AB)
Copyright: 2008 Canwest Publishing Inc.
Contact: http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/letters.html
Website: http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/66
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis)

POT GROWERS NOT GOING DUTCH

Canwest News Service

(CNS) Clandestine cannabis growers in the Netherlands net $2.7 
billion US a year -- worth almost half the country's horticultural 
sector -- according to a Dutch newspaper report on Saturday.

By comparison, NRC Handelsblad reports the horticultural sector 
generates about $7.4 billion US annually.

"There is major demand from England, Belgium, Germany, France, the 
Scandinavian countries and, at the moment, the Baltic countries," 
said Max Daniel, the senior police officer who heads the Dutch agency 
that combats grow-ops.

Police investigations suggest about 500 tonnes of Dutch cannabis are 
exported each year.

"We know at least 80 per 0cent of production is for export. In the 
Netherlands there are 400,000 users of the drug and of hashish. If it 
was only them, the problem would be entirely manageable," Daniel said.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom