Pubdate: Nov 3, 1998 Source: Globe and Mail (Canada) Contact: http://www.globeandmail.ca/ Copyright: 1998, The Globe and Mail Company Author: Sara Schmidt BC TOWNS HIGH ON HUGE CANNABIS HARVEST Dustin Sunflower Cantwell can hardly contain his enthusiasm when he describes this year's cannabis harvest -- the best to date for B.C.'s most lucrative cash crop. "It was just epic," said Mr. Cantwell of Nelson, B.C. "There was no chance of mould. It was a perfect finish." It's the same wherever the illegal crop is grown in B.C. Communities such as Nelson -- famous for their underground agriculture hydroponic prowess -- have been savoring every moment since the harvest came in a month ago, after countless days of summer sunshine. Mr. Cantwell, co-owner of Holy smoke Culture Shop, said pot harvested on mountainous crown land may not be as chemically potent as the genetically altered cannabis that thrives under light bulbs in thousands of B.C. basements and warehouses. But it does the job. And with B.C.'s forest sector suffering from the Asian flu, pot is becoming the province's most cherished and reliable resource in communities such as Nelson, which is particularly famous for its alternative air. British Columbians produce more pot than all other Canadian provinces combined. It's estimated to be a $3-billion industry -- second only to the $8.5-billion tourism sector. One-third is consumed in B.C. -- where nearly 12 per cent of adults smoke pot (up from 6 per cent in 1993, according to the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse's 1997 report on drug use). The remaining $2-billion worth is exported, some ending up in the hands of the 5.32 Canadians (or 23.1 per cent) who admit to smoking a joint at least once in their lives. The dividends, Mr. Cantwell said, help keep places like Nelson afloat. "I don't care if it's illegal. That's how the community thrives," he said. And with winter quickly approaching, these dollars are vital. "When these cannabis dollars come in, it's the last injection of money before the winter. This is like UI for the Kootenays." Since B.C. also produces the best pot in Canada and rivals Amsterdam for the world's top pot prize, it also lures cash into the province. "Oh man, it's good. I was there this summer. That's why i went," said a 22-year-old from St. John's. The woman, who asked not to be identified, backpacked around the province for three months. "B.C. pot is one of the best industries on the go in the country and I want to support it," said the daily smoker. Some British Columbians who live on Vancouver Island and the secluded Gulf Islands, who find themselves surrounded by cannabis plants, agree. Eighty per cent of the residents of Lasqueti Island, for example, are involved in the cannabis scene, said Constable Rodney Gray of the Parksville RCMP detachment. "This problem is really getting out of control over here. It's just wild," said the coordinator of the summer harvest project on the island. "An island economy is relying on criminal activity." But this lucrative underground economy isn't limited to Lasqueti. "It's a growth industry in B.C.," acknowledged Corporal Don Smawley, RCMP detachment commander for the Outer Gulf Islands. "It's getting more and more sophisticated, and there's more and more money to be made." That's because there are few places in B.C. where cannabis-laced cash is hard to make. "It's pretty ideal everywhere," said Ted Smith, president of the Victoria-based Hempology 101 Society and volunteer for the Vancouver Island Cannabis Buyers' Club. Coupled with ever-improving indoor horticultural techniques and genetic manipulation of seeds, B.C. growers are surviving tough economic times, said Mr. smith, 29. "It's keeping a lot of people happy and fed. I'm dead serious.... Without it, a lot of middle- and lower-class people would be squeezed down even more." The RCMP reject the assertion that small-time growers produce the bulk of B.C. pot They estimate that 70 per cent of commercial marijuana growing operations are controlled by organized crime. In the end, officers said, pot smoking imposes an unnecessary tax on the system. "Sure, it's money going back into the island," said Cpl. Smawley, but the long-term costs are greater. "The health-care system is already taxed enough." The tar in marijuana, for example is 50 to 100 per cent greater than that of tobacco. RCMP data also state that 18.4 per cent of students who use marijuana go on to use cocaine. Fewer than 1 per cent of non-smokers ever use cocaine. Meanwhile, the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse's May, 1998, report titled Cannabis Control in Canada: Options regarding Possession estimates that governments in Canada spend $400-million a year trying to enforce drug laws -- rules that pot smokers are willing to break just to get a taste of B.C.'s home-grown specialty. - --- Checked-by: Rolf Ernst