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Budget
Posted by FoM on April 29, 2000 at 07:07:55 PT
Canadian Press
Source: Excite Canada
Vancouver - B.C.'s multi-billion-dollar marijuana industry is getting increasingly dangerous, police say, citing electrocutions, fires and deadly booby traps protecting pot-growing houses. In one case, police found a cyanide gas bomb in the hallway of a suburban Delta home that, had it exploded, would have meant "certain death to persons in the vicinity." 
The B.C. Organized Crime Agency estimates gangs now control 8,000 marijuana-growing operations in the Vancouver area, yielding more than $2 billion a year. A study by an agency analyst presented in B.C. Supreme Court at the sentencing of a convicted marijuana grower last week emphasized the danger of such operations to the public, the police and even the growers themselves. There have been about 15 serious electrical shocks received by growers, including a few fatalities, in the last five years as a result of improper wiring installations, said the report by Alex Tyakoff. The report details how Delta police recently encountered a fused pipe bomb near a jar containing liquid cyanide in the entrance hall of a residential grow operation. The explosion would have released cyanide gas. In another case, a home in suburban Richmond was rigged with wire that could have fired a loaded shotgun at intruders. Police are reporting increased competition among growers, who use armed home invasions and booby trapping of some homes in a turf war. "These are not 50-year-old ex-hippies growing plants in their basement for their own use," said Sgt. Randy Elliott of the Organized Crime Agency. "This is organized crime with people growing 200-plant operations and unloading the product." Almost daily, police are executing search warrants, often leaving the raided homes with guns and even children, who are handed over to social-service authorities. Last week, police in the Vancouver area executed 196 search warrants and seized millions of dollars worth of pot and a number of guns, said Coquitlam RCMP Insp. Earl Moulton, vice-chairman of the regional operational police managers' committee. But there is mounting frustration that police are unable to make more than a dent in the problem, he said. In one week in suburban Coquitlam, police executed 20 search warrants on homes suspected of growing marijuana, said Moulton. But in the same period, another 25 homes were listed as potential operations. In last week's sentencing, Justice Allan Stewart handed down a sentence of two years less a day to a marijuana grower, the harshest penalty so far in British Columbia and only the second time it's been imposed. Stewart said it's time for the courts to start "upping the ante" to address the increasing problem of residential pot-growing operations, which put innocent people at risk. "To me, the problem that now confronts this community in early 2000, falls into the category of something where we cannot wait for a top-down reaction or solution," the judge said. The total value of the pot operations from the region is $2.2 billion annually, said Elliott. Outlaw motorcycle and Asian gangs are using the profits to finance other criminal enterprises, such as prostitution and smuggling, Elliott said police believe. Published: April 29, 2000Copyright © 2000 Excite Canada Inc. CannabisNews Articles On Canadian Issues: A Northern Border Menace http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread5512.shtmlhttp://ussc.alltheweb.com/cgi-bin/search?type=all&query=cannabisnews+canada 
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Comment #5 posted by cerebus on May 01, 2000 at 16:16:42 PT
bombs are turf war...
criminialization in the face of increasing competition and incresing profits. if growers could goto police and say this guy is threatening me, which of course they cant they are in a business encouraged my criminialization and incressing profit margins as us and canadian laws remain stagnant and continue to push forward in increasing govt control over drugs and lessing private rights. these bombs are to keep other gangs out not to blow up police or civilans up. 2 years for 200 plants? wow how much is that in the usa 5-25? lets be hinest though those growers are endangering others in an effort to protect their property from tresspassers and competetors. in the usa kentuckians would do many of the same things to keep the feds out since most cant make a living anyother way. what the hell road are we down? canada is bordering on decrimialization in some way or form it seems but how are they going to deal with organized growing for specific export to the usa? and how much pressure will the us govt put on canada to not push back their laws arguing look see now they are building bombs and whatnot now what next? of course the saner realize that the war on drugs causes these incidents but as us law lags in the middleages and puratannical demagogary. they will use that arguement whenever they can. i pray that other nations dont fall prey to circular arguements and lies the the usa puts out in its holy crusade that they see the united states problems to deal realistically and honestly with the situation the real problem. and recognize the fact that the usa govt needs to GROW up. stop lying twisting and scapegoating to defend a failed policay and stop tryin to sell us that this is a winnable war short of stripping its citizens of all rights and responsibilities and total thought and media control. it simply amazing and scarry how far theyve already stepped over that line. and doubly scarry how unapolegetic so called "liberals" are for that. used to be the democratic party stood for personal liberties where the hell is that? al i see is liberals trying to regulate though and political correctness. and try to save ourselves from ourselves because obviously were too damn stupid to do so for ourselves. crimilize cigarretes regulate them as a drug make sure speech isnt free anymore anything that doesnt jive with their nobel outlook for soiciety must be stopped at all cost. make more laws more govt programs that seep govt into every part of your life. u want to be cared for by the govt then dont expect to be free in any sense of the word. they already tax u when your born your entire life when u die and when you try to pass your possesions on that uve payed taxes on your entire life several times over. lets be real for every new law, government program and subsidy and support system u give up your freedoms welfare social security medicare etc look how well the feds manage those programs work over the half the work year to pay em off if a corporation ran things like that theyd be bankrupt. they fund studies that have no basis in merit or fact and fund them several times over if they dont get the conclusions they want. they so screwed up the prison systems and schools they have to contract them out to private firms and corportaions so they can make a profit? where are we and where the hell are we headed?the united states stopped standing for truth justice and the american way when government started caring for its citizens from cradle to grave. the grat deal that gave us social security and whatnot allowed the government into your wallet that was unheard of before and at the start was relatively harmless well where are we now? medicare s.s. and various programs are mostly or will be in the future bankrupt for what most experts see. those programs dont reach those that need it and the unbelieveable waste in each of those programs is staggering never mind fraud. maybe the only thing that might save us in those reguards is a privitization of s.s. medicare least get the governmment out of coddling us and out of our paychecks after all if we choose not to pay into s.s. and into medicare taxes and go thru private institutions and agencies the return is generally greater and how much money does that leave u in each paycheck and over the coure of a year to invest in retirement and health care?for my money citizens are better served when their home states handle things like that whats best for idaho isnt best for new york state necessarilly and i suspect that the peoplee actually living in state have a hell of a lot better idea how to spend money effectively than 10 different commissions in washington. block money to the states directly. the arguement that states wont do what their civilians want? b.s. look now who is puttin initiaatives on the ballots and allowing people to debate the issue its the states. got a state govt that is pissin your money away? vote em out its a hell of a lot easire to police your local goveernmment and politicians ill bet then some jerk in washington that spends half his time raising money and half his time kissing the feet of special interests and couches their efforts in 1000s of pages of code and regulations bills and reports.that said i think its time everyone reevaulte what kind of government they want and look at what they think government should be about you have options and you have a vote maybe its time for a serious look at states rights vs. government rights. after all who makes up the states but the electorate? the same cant be said of the feds.
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Comment #4 posted by MikeEEEEE on April 29, 2000 at 16:38:48 PT
Whats the point here
They made the war on drugs, whats the surprise here if they fight back, it's a war.
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Comment #3 posted by freedom fighter on April 29, 2000 at 15:36:08 PT
every where
Rights of human being taken away bit by bit.Onward through the Fog!Only if the world would understand.Do to others as you would want others do to you!Onward through the Fog!I am a Walrus and gonna fix me a joint!Onward through the Fog!Suddenly, there is a revolution   hand!I am a Walrus and gonna smoke me a joint!Onward through the Fog!
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Comment #2 posted by Dankhank on April 29, 2000 at 13:55:02 PT:
Craziness
The reason that organized crime may be growing pot is the same ingenuity of the North American growers that improved the quality of the plant.There is so much money to be made growing the high-grade pot that it's obvious why the gangsta's are involved.Shortsighted naysayers to the legalization question are most responsible for the state of the nation today.Keep the drugs illegal and you keep the crime... DUH? Figure it out yourselves.Gnewt Gingrich and Jesse "American Nazi?" Helms have gone on record favoring death for anyone who transfers more than two ounces of marijuana.The editor of the local paper here in Lawton, Ok told me that he considered that a good idea. Facetious or not, his comment is typical of an uninformed electorate that knows little of the current discourse regarding the myriad uses of marijuana that there are.One day all the haters will have to hide their heads in shame for the hate and misery they have caused.If we spent half of the money used for the drug war on keeping drugs away from children I think we could do a good job.Stop locking otherwise law-abiding Americans for making a choice... ANDSTOP LOCKING SICK PEOPLE UP FOR CHOOSING A MEDICINE THAT WORKS FOR THEM!!!!
Hemp n Stuff
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Comment #1 posted by Mari on April 29, 2000 at 09:15:57 PT
Growing
Lets face it..would it Really make any difference to these guys when then break down the door if it Was a "50yr old hippie" growing for his own use?He would go to jail just the same!What they hate is any danger to Themselves!Pot people have a reputation as peaceful & it pisses the Law off if some one fights back!!
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