Pubdate: Thu, 15 Oct 2009 Source: Packet & Times (CN ON) Copyright: 2009 Osprey Media Group Inc. Contact: http://www.orilliapacket.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2397 Author: Russell Barth MARIJUANA ERADICATION EFFORTS HELP FUEL CRIMINAL MARKET: POT SMOKER Re: "Pot Busts Big Business," Saturday, Oct. 10 Here is a letter a pot grower might send: Dear police, Thanks large for cutting down all those pot plants. Tearing out 5-10% of the area's pot crop each year secures our nding like no other policy. Legalizing pot would cripple us because everyone who wanted to could simply grow some in their yards, and that would put us right out of business. But your ongoing eradication efforts secure future customers coming to us for this oh-so-easy-to-grow medicinal herb. We simply cannot thank you enough, although we suspect you are pretty happy about your ever-increasing anti-pot budgets. You make money. We make money. There is lots of pot on the street. Everyone is happy. Except the taxpayers, but who cares what those suckers think, right? Also, this propaganda in the news really helps us, too. We can charge anywhere from $2,600-$3,500 per pound for this simple weed, because of the perceived threat. Our customers ask us why pot is so expensive, and we tell them that the police are "cracking down" and we are facing big risks and so on. They have no choice but to accept it. Thanks large for that, too. So, by all means, please keep tearing out as many plants as you can, and keep lobbying for longer sentences. Even if you catch twice as many growers as last fall, you still couldn't get more than 20% of us, and that stimulates the entire industry. We will thank you for your efforts by calling in tips against our competitors. Russell Barth Nepean - --- MAP posted-by: Richard R Smith Jr