cannabisnews.com: Violence Grows as Marijuana Profits Rise 





Violence Grows as Marijuana Profits Rise 
Posted by CN Staff on October 29, 2003 at 08:56:18 PT
By Adrian Humphreys and Stewart Bell
Source: National Post 
Marijuana grow operations, many of them in well-to-do suburban neighbourhoods, "have reached epidemic levels in Ontario, Quebec and particularly British Columbia," says a classified RCMP report on organized crime.The detailed analysis of threats from myriad sophisticated criminal gangs across Canada pegs the illicit indoor and outdoor marijuana gardens as "an economic mainstay for all crime groups."
Moreover, the report says the profit from the operations is so great that violence over them -- including murders -- is "on the rise in most areas of the country."Police in Canada have seized an average of 1.4 million marijuana plants in each of the past four years, representing a six-fold increase from 1993, the report says. Based on the size of the seizures and the average plant yield, the RCMP estimates the annual marijuana production in Canada to be 800 tonnes."The sheer size of those operations has reached unprecedented levels. Each year, several multi-thousand plant operations are discovered both indoors and outdoors," the report says.The cultivation of marijuana, a drug on the verge of going before Parliament to decriminalize its possession, is undertaken by many criminal groups studied in the RCMP intelligence report obtained by the National Post."Outlaw motorcycle gangs used to enjoy a virtual monopoly over marijuana grow operations but they now have to contend with an increasing Asian organized-crime presence in some parts of the country," the report says.It is now a particular favourite of Vietnamese gangs."Vietnamese-based organized crime groups ... are considered violent and are involved in different criminal activities, particularly marijuana grow operations and related money laundering."The gangs often distance themselves from the operation by hiring new immigrants to tend the crops."Violence has always been an intrinsic part of the production, trafficking and distribution of illicit drugs and marijuana is no exception. There are broad indications that violence associated with marijuana grow operations is on the rise in most areas of the country," the report says."The marijuana grow phenomenon continues to grow and it should remain a major source of revenue for various types of organized crime. They have a disruptive effect on communities, since disputes over these operations can turn violent."The report says police have linked home invasions, drug thefts, burglaries, assaults and murders to the operations.Canada's homegrown marijuana is being smuggled to the United States and the proceeds from sales then repatriated to gangsters here. The marijuana is also being traded in the United States for cocaine, which is then imported and sold in Canada, the report says.The prominence of issues relating to marijuana grow operations in the 40-page report, distributed internally in April to help guide and prioritize major investigations launched by the RCMP, suggests the seriousness with which the force views the problem.Dan McTeague, a Liberal MP, said the report raises serious concerns that are ignored in the government's proposed amendments to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, the legislation that would decriminalize simple possession of marijuana."The issue of decriminalization has obscured the real problem here. We seem to have lost sight of the profound implications for public security that stems from marijuana grow operations," Mr. McTeague said.The amendments, which also deal with grow operation offences, is "woefully inadequate" in tackling the epidemic because it does not require minimum prison terms for those caught running the operations, nor does it have escalating sentencing provisions for repeat offenders, he said. Snipped: Complete Article: http://www.freedomtoexhale.com/epidemic.htmSource: National Post (Canada)Author: Adrian Humphreys and Stewart Bell, National Post Published: Wednesday, October 29, 2003Copyright: 2003 Southam Inc.Contact: letters nationalpost.comWebsite: http://www.nationalpost.com/Related Article & Web Site:Cannabis News Canadian Linkshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/can.htmLax Pot Laws Lure Criminals To Canadahttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread17683.shtmlCannabisNews -- Canada Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/Canada.shtml 
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Comment #12 posted by FoM on October 31, 2003 at 08:10:01 PT
Important E-Mail News
Medical Marijana Patient Rev. Donny Appleby of Ottawa, Canada -- R.I.P Date: Fri, 31 Oct 2003 
    
 *** PLEASE FORWARD WIDELY ***Some sad news. Friends were with Rev. Donny Appleby at his bedside at Ottawa General Hospitel when he passed at 12:45am, Wednesday morning October 30th 2003.Donny suffered second and third degree burns while making medicine in early October. Donny fought bravely, but his battle with AIDS made his injuries too much for him to overcome. He is in a better place now. Donny was a legal Canadian medical marijuana patient, a cleric of the Church of the Univerise, whose sacrament is the Tree of Life -- http://www.iamm.com -- and founded the Mission of Sufferance, known as the "soup kitchen" of the medical marijuana movement -- http://members.rogers.com/missionofsufferance More information regarding a memorial will be fothcoming. Meanwhile, friends of Donny are asking for donations in order to give him a proper burial, as he has no family in the Ottawa area. If you would like to donate, please give Mike Foster of Crosstown Traffic a call at +1 613 234 1210, or mail your cheque to: 
Rev. Donny Appleby Memorial Fundc/o Crosstown Traffic 593-C Bank Street Ottawa, ON K1S 3T4 Canada 
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Comment #11 posted by The GCW on October 29, 2003 at 19:35:07 PT
Cited: Dan McTeague and His LTE.
He also has a LTE posted at MAP.http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v03/n1686/a02.html?397CN ON: LTE: UN Drug ConventionsPubdate: Tue, 28 Oct 2003Source: Ottawa Sun (CN ON)Copyright: 2003, Canoe Limited PartnershipContact: oped ott.sunpub.comWebsite: http://www.fyiottawa.com/ottsun.shtmlDetails: http://www.mapinc.org/media/329Author: Dan McTeague, MPReferenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v03.n1662.a07.htmlNote: Parenthetical remark by the Sun editor, headline by newshawkUN DRUG CONVENTIONS Regarding the editor's rejoinder to my Oct. 26 "Letter of the Day": I thought Mr. Elrod's main point was that UN drug conventions "only mandate criminal penalties for possession for the purpose of trafficking" and that the INCB said that "none of the conventions force governments to convict or punish people who use illegal drugs", ( "Letters to the Editor," Oct. 24 ). I believe the two points were countered in my Oct. 26 response to Mr. Elrod. However, the sage comment attached to my response by the editor indicated my reply failed to contradict Mr. Elrod's supposedly primary contention that other nations have decriminalized possession but are nonetheless signatories to the UN conventions. Perhaps Mr. Elrod and others would like to take a look at some of the non-criminal sanctions offered by those countries which have decriminalized pot. Here in Canada however, the proposed changes do not include roadside drug-driving testing. They do not have any repeat offender provisions and they do not have any stiff penalties for marijuana growhouse operators. In Canada, our government seems only interested in trying to sell Canadians on a cheap ticket system. Before rushing to support Mr. Elrod's internationalist view, your editorial board may also wish to refer to Page 49 of the September 2002, Summary Report of the Senate Special Committee on Illegal Drugs. It states that if Canada proceeds with decriminalizing possession of small amounts of marijuana then it "will either have to temporarily withdraw from the conventions and treaties or accept that it will be in temporary contravention until the international community accedes to its request to amend them." I consider Mr. Elrod's point contradicted. Dan McTeague, MP ( Suit yourself: We still don't agree with your interpretation of the part of the treaty you quoted ) 
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Comment #10 posted by The GCW on October 29, 2003 at 17:24:58 PT
Till death do Us part. Become the annointed.
If the U.S. Gov. would crack down more on cannabis, it would increase the price & more people will die in Canada.Till death do Us part.Is that what 1 Timothy 4:1-5 is relating to, when it says: "men who forbid marriage"? Do We get married to cannabis? What does annointing implicate, other than the mainstream considerations? Christ is the Christ because He is the annointed one... and We can potentially all do the works of Christ, and more! Do You just get high, or do You get annointed? Both?Be wed to the Truth. Cannabis is part of the Truth.1 Timothy 4Apostasy1  But (1) the Spirit explicitly says that (2) in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to (3) deceitful spirits and (4) doctrines of demons, 
2  by means of the hypocrisy of liars (5) seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron, 
3  men who (6) forbid marriage and advocate (7) abstaining from foods which (8) God has created to be (9) gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth. 
4  For (10) everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is (11) received with gratitude; 
5  for it is sanctified by means of (12) the word of God and prayer. http://www.biblegateway.org/bible?passage=1TIM+4&language=english&version=NASBNot just legalize: Re-legalize.Cannabis pro's lack truth.Become annointed.
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Comment #9 posted by FoM on October 29, 2003 at 15:32:16 PT
New Article from Snipped Source
Marijuana Tops Tobacco Among TeensYouth cannabis use hits 25-year peak. 
Janice Tibbetts and Dave Rogers, The Ottawa Citizen Wednesday, October 29, 2003 
 Canadian teens are more likely to smoke marijuana than tobacco, according to a new national survey.A poll of 1,250 12-to-19 year olds revealed that getting high is once again "mainstream," says a Health Canada representative.The results suggest the greatest cannabis use among young people in 25 years.Health Canada gave a preliminary report of its findings last week to a House of Commons committee holding hearings on a bill that would decriminalize marijuana, but stiffen penalties against grow operations."Research we have conducted on 12-to 19-year-olds shows us that marijuana has gone mainstream and is well integrated into teen lifestyle," reported Linda Dabros, a special adviser to Health Canada's director general of drug strategy.Fifty-four per cent of 15-to 19 year-olds said they had smoked marijuana more than once. When 12-to 14-year-olds were added to the mix, however, the overall numbers dropped to 34 per cent.Cigarette smoking, on the other hand, continues to decline among young people, with the latest national figures showing that 22 per cent of teens light up regularly.The nationwide findings are mirrored in a similar study by the regional health and social services board in the Outaouais, where marijuana has surpassed cigarettes as one of the two most popular drugs among high school students.Marthe Deschênes, a researcher with the Régie régionale de la santé et des services sociaux de l'Outaouais said yesterday a 2002 survey showed 30 per cent of high school students used marijuana more than once a month.That compared to 24 per cent who smoked cigarettes. The board's study was based on a survey of 2,180 students in 23 public and private high schools.The 275-page study asked English- and French-speaking students in public and private schools about their family life, work, smoking, drinking, drug use, Internet habits and mental health. The report was the third in a series conducted previously in 1991 and 1996.It showed that alcohol remained the drug of choice among high school students, with 55 per cent drinking at least occasionally. That figure is virtually unchanged from numbers recorded in 1991 and 1996.Ms. Deschênes said cigarette consumption among teenagers declined after 1996 because of increases in cigarette prices. She said marijuana has become more popular than cigarettes in recent years because it is widely available."You can see cannabis culture everywhere, even on TV," Ms. Deschênes said. "There are people older than the teenagers -- even parents with children at school -- who sell it. "Teen marijuana smokers appear to be imitating their baby-boom parents, said Richard Garlick, a spokesman for the Canadian Centre for Substance Abuse."Youth rates are going up and are at levels that we haven't seen since the late '70s when rates reached their peak," said Mr. Garlick.A survey of Ontario high-school students, conducted by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, also showed an upswing through the 1990s after a large drop in the 1980s. Of 4,894 students polled in 1999, 29.3 per cent said they had used marijuana while 28.3 had smoked.The national telephone survey was conducted in August, with four to five follow-up discussions online with participants.Ms. Dabros said that teens appear to be confused about the state of the federal pot law. It is a criminal offence to smoke marijuana, but the federal Liberals have proposed legislation to decriminalize possession of less than 15 grams so that people would be fined rather than criminally charged.The survey is one of the first that the federal government has done in a decade to measure the extent of Canada's drug problem. The Health Department intends to use the data for an anti-marijuana campaign that is being developed to prevent teens from smoking their first joint.Copyright 2003 The Ottawa Citizen 
 Snipped:Complete Article: http://canada.com/national/story.asp?id=60546420-46C4-41B3-9764-D20E0C528585
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Comment #8 posted by FoM on October 29, 2003 at 15:00:11 PT
News Brief from The Canadian Press
Time Running Out for Marijuana Bill, Cauchon Still Hopeful It Will PassOctober 29, 2003Ottawa -- Justice Minister Martin Cauchon says he believes there's still time to pass his controversial bill to decriminalize marijuana.Cauchon acknowledged time is tight, but downplayed reports that Parliament will prorogue next week, killing the bill. "People expect that the House will close next week. We don't know yet about that so I'm working on a daily basis in order to make sure that we're going to go as fast as we can."The legislation would reduce the punishment for simple possession of pot to a fine rather than a criminal record, while boosting penalties for growers.Cauchon's comments came as British lawmakers voted to downgrade marijuana's status in their country. The reclassification places pot on par with steroids, rather than hard drugs.
BBC: MPs Vote To Downgrade Cannabis
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Comment #7 posted by Virgil on October 29, 2003 at 12:11:14 PT
Duh
Marijuana grow operations, many of them in well-to-do suburban neighbourhoodsWhy would you not think people could not afford the best places in town when they grow gold? The more room the merrier. 
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Comment #6 posted by lombar on October 29, 2003 at 11:35:30 PT
Deadly Mix
Take one part sustained high unemployment, add one part massive cash crop, one part greater penalties for cannabis production, (and 4 parts bad leadership) and we can say "Goodbye Canada, Hello Gulag state." This is just another propaganda piece designed to scare the populace into supporting harsher penalties against cannabis."The marijuana is also being traded in the United States for cocaine, which is then imported and sold in Canada, the report says."Oh, you forgot the GUNS. They have conjured the spectres of gangs at war, thefts, home invasions, assaults, murders, and racism......pure propaganda disguised as news. Oh that's right, that whole newspaper is just right wing propaganda losing some $20 million per year.
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Comment #5 posted by cloud7 on October 29, 2003 at 11:17:38 PT
missing again
Where are the reporters that need to be asking "do you think more violence would occur when grow ops have the protection of the police or protection from the police?"
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Comment #4 posted by DeVoHawk on October 29, 2003 at 10:18:08 PT
Summation for Legalization
"Violence has always been an intrinsic part of the production, trafficking and distribution of illicit drugs and marijuana is no exception"
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Comment #3 posted by ErikGhint on October 29, 2003 at 10:01:16 PT
Solution to the problem
End prohibition and set up a legal distribution network for cannabis and BAM! no more of this dangerous "marijuana grow-op" organized crime.
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Comment #2 posted by BigDawg on October 29, 2003 at 09:51:18 PT
Sorry if I seem grim today
But this just seems to be getting on my nerves seeing the prohibitionists just keep spouting the same crap over and over... louder and louder."He said organized crime will flourish unless police and governments do a better job of cracking down on it."See what I mean? Doing a "better" job means market prices go up. Which means profit goes up. Which means more people are willing to take the risk. Which means more violence.Regulate it.I don't see liquor store owners shooting each other up. And violence has been DIRECTLY linked to alcohol use.
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Comment #1 posted by FoM on October 29, 2003 at 09:31:57 PT
Related Article from Snipped Source
Hells Angels Spread Tentacles in B.C.Organized crime has infiltrated border enforcement, ports: RCMP report. 
Lori Culbert, Vancouver Sun October 29, 2003
 
 Organized crime has stretched its tentacles into many areas of border enforcement and criminal activity in B.C., from the Vancouver airport to the drug trade, says a confidential RCMP report.At the same time, a new book on the Hells Angels says the biker gang has infiltrated ports in Vancouver, and is investing heavily in real estate, restaurants, waste disposal, and even cellphone stores in this province.The RCMP report, obtained by the National Post under the Access to Information Act, says organized crime is on the rise across the country. It says the presence of gangs has "been well established" at the three biggest Canadian airports, including Vancouver International, which have become a gateway for drugs to enter the country.Richmond RCMP Corporal Peter Thiessen said he could not specifically address the report, which was written by the force's criminal intelligence directorate in Ottawa. But he said, generally, organized crime has been a "consistent" problem at the Vancouver airport."We are aware that organized crime does at times frequent the airport. We have Hells Angels that come through there a variety of different times, flying their colours," he said. "There are other elements of organized crime at the airport in regards to luggage theft, we've been aware of that for some time."He said the RCMP is working with customs and other agencies to target the illegal activity, including the importing and exporting of drugs. Thiessen stressed that people are not at risk using the airport. "It's a safe place to be, but there is a known criminal element that do frequent there and we feel we are being very proactive in dealing with that," he said. "We have made arrests over the last six months involving known criminals."Faith St. John, spokeswoman for Canada Customs and Revenue Agency, said that so far this year, 463 drug seizures have been made at the Vancouver airport, an increase of 16 per cent over 2002. She attributes the rise to customs officers asking more questions and examining more travellers since the 2001 terrorist attacks in the U.S. She said the drugs are often well hidden. "They hollowed out the heels [of shoes] and put the drugs in there, or false sides on suitcases, or mixed into canisters of tea."The report says RCMP are targeting four types of organized crime: bikers, Italian Mafia, eastern European crime groups and Asian gangs. Police say the groups are responsible for a variety of crimes including murder, robberies, money laundering, counterfeiting, the sex trade, and the smuggling of people, weapons and drugs. Trafficking in narcotics is said to be the main revenue for the illegal groups.The report says that in B.C., eastern European organized crime "is more prevalent than had previously been thought," and that Asian-based crime groups are well networked and difficult to arrest. In recent years, Vancouver police have said Vietnamese crime groups and outlaw motorcycle gangs are responsible for many of the city's marijuana-growing operations. And in 2001, local police said the Hong Kong-based Big Circle Boys gang had made the Lower Mainland the "hotbed" for North America's credit card counterfeiters.The RCMP report also said the Hells Angels are flourishing, with 35 chapters and approximately 600 members in Canada, despite high-profile arrests and trials in Quebec in the past few years.A new book co-written by veteran journalist Julian Sher, The Road to Hell: How the Biker Gangs Conquered Canada, says the Angels' chapters in B.C. are wealthy, dominate the lucrative sex trade, and own many businesses and properties. It says 43 employees at the Port of Vancouver are Hells Angels members or associates.In an interview, Sher said there are about 100 Hells Angels members and associates in B.C."In many ways what makes the Hells Angels in B.C. more dangerous ... is they are very powerful, they are very wealthy, but they are completely under the radar," he said. "I don't think people in Vancouver are aware of the extent of how wide-sweeping it is."He said organized crime will flourish unless police and governments do a better job of cracking down on it. However, he said B.C. is fortunate to have the Organized Crime Agency, a fairly new joint police initiative that has made a handful of arrests.Snipped:Complete Article: http://www.canada.com/vancouver/news/story.asp?id=4F0C1259-9623-428E-8041-0F535EB24C3A
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