cannabisnews.com: Pot Bust Worth $30-million, Police Say Pot Bust Worth $30-million, Police Say Posted by CN Staff on January 12, 2004 at 13:22:52 PT By Oliver Moore, Globe & Mail Update Source: Globe and Mail The mammoth scale of two Toronto-area marijuana grow-operations busted on the weekend shows that “commercial marijuana factories have reached epidemic proportions in Ontario,” police said Monday.A joint operation by officers of the Ontario Provincial Police and the Barrie Police Service at a former Molson brewery, a stone's-throw from a busy highway, turned up thousands of plants. A raid on another building nearby netted thousands more plants. The total street value of the drugs is estimated at $30-million. Nine people were arrested at former brewery during the raid early Saturday morning. Deputy Commissioner Vaughn Collins, of the OPP Investigation and Organized Crime Command, said that the grow-op in the former brewery was the “largest and most sophisticated” in Canada. He said that marijuana grown in Canada is routinely shipped to the U.S. and traded for cocaine that it then smuggled back into Canada.Police said that the operation covered more than 60,000 square feet of space and had been set up to operated 24 hours a day. There were dormitory-type living quarters for up to 50 workers, outfitted with beds, televisions, fridges and stoves. The site was outfitted with over 1,000 high-powered lights and was capable of producing as many as three or four crops annually."You had to see it to believe it," OPP Superintendent Bill Crate said after touring the operation. Another officer said that the marijuana plants “went on and on” and compared the site to "a little Saskatchewan."Barrie police Chief Wayne Frechette told a news conference Monday morning that this was more of a “big-box” enterprise than a “mom-and-pop” operation. “The fact that it resided in our community demonstrates the need for the public to be vigilant for suspicious activities which may be evidence of illegal drug production,” he said.Molson closed the brewery in 2000 and sold it to a company that leases spaces to about half a dozen businesses. The other companies included trucking companies and a bottling company, police said.With a report from The Globe and Mail's Peter Cheney Source: Globe and Mail (Canada)Author: Oliver MoorePublished: Monday, January 12, 2004Copyright: 2004 The Globe and Mail CompanyContact: letters globeandmail.caWebsite: http://www.globeandmail.com/Related Article:OPP High on Big Brewery Busthttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread18129.shtmlCannabisNews Canada Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/Canada.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #50 posted by jose melendez on January 13, 2004 at 10:00:47 PT got it thanks [ Post Comment ] Comment #49 posted by FoM on January 13, 2004 at 08:52:20 PT jose Please work with me. I don't want to talk about cocaine. This is cannabisnews. Thanks. Let's work together for change. [ Post Comment ] Comment #48 posted by mayan on January 13, 2004 at 08:00:06 PT unrelated... The soupreme court just gave cops another excuse to set up roadblocks! Now all the cops have to do is say they're seeking information about a recent crime. I'm sure they won't abuse their authority because we all know they never do. Court OKs roadblocks to hunt criminals: http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2004-01-13-court-roadblocks_x.htm [ Post Comment ] Comment #47 posted by The GCW on January 13, 2004 at 07:51:20 PT jose melendez, it is hard to comprehend all that You contribute.Thank You!420And the $30-million...Is that a by the joint price or a by the toke price? Or is it by the pound, like other produce?Then what is the real price, if there was not the artivicial market? Would it be legally by the pound more like $3 million? Wouldn't this be an example of how to count its worth in a legal market????"Marijuana grown in Ghana is of good quality, plentiful and relatively inexpensive. Twenty neatly rolled sticks of pot, or about half an ounce, sell for about $3 American. That's right, good pot sells for $6 an ounce in Ghana. Here is the highest stage of capitalism--the free market--in action. "http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v04/n067/a05.html?1250Ghana: Africa's Pot War [ Post Comment ] Comment #46 posted by jose melendez on January 13, 2004 at 07:17:32 PT missing links here's the correct narconews link I meant to post on comment #45http://www.narconews.com/Issue26/article569.html " . . . it seems to me we should have laws that treat people with respect!" [ Post Comment ] Comment #45 posted by jose melendez on January 13, 2004 at 07:13:20 PT Diversion, indeed. Drug war IS crime. Please accept my apologies for the length of this post, and thanks again for cannabisnews.comThe story above demonstrates that even with HUGE INDOOR FARMS of cannabis, there is no need for hazmat cleanup or toxic superfund status.Ironically, the narconews link in comment #31 leads to what may be a keystone in the case against prohibition. The correction in the narconews.com story included the name of the specific company alleged to, with support from D.E.A., warehouse and reprocess tons of the very alkaloids that are unlawfully classified under the Controlled Substances Act. Subsequent research verifies Giordano's report.The following pages describe the long history of the unlawful activities of just one company, long protected to this very day despite a record of causing harm to our citizens, both by the legal poisons they peddle and the illegally disposed waste products they dumped in our streams and soil.Pages confirming narconews report at: http://www.narconews.com/Issue32/article888.htmlinclude EPA's involvement in toxic cleanup:http://www.bergen.org/AAST/Projects/ES/SF/case.htmlhttp://www.epa.gov/region02/superfund/npl/0200665c.htmhttp://216.239.41.104/search?q=cache:SCs7SUYaxQMJ:www.fusrapmaywood.com/Docs/MISS-156.pdfyet, from: http://216.239.41.104/search?q=cache:k9zFC2Q7WcUJ:198.17.75.65/fril/1998/19980806/98-20960.pdfDEPARTMENT OF JUSTICEDrug Enforcement Administration Importer of Controlled Substances; Notice of Registration By Notice dated May 5, 1998, and published in the Federal Register on May 19, 1998, (63 FR 27591), Stepan Company, Natural Products Department, 100 W. Hunter Avenue, Maywood, New Jersey 07607, made application by renewal to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to be registered as an importer of coca leaves (9040), a basic class of controlled substance listed in Schedule II. The firm plans to import coca leaves to manufacture bulk controlled substances. No comments or objections have been received. DEA has considered the factors in Title 21, United States Code, Section 823(a) and determined that the registration of Stepan Company to import coca leaves is consistent with the public interest and with United States obligations under international treaties, conventions, or protocols in effect on May 1, 1971, at this time. Therefore pursuant to Section 1008(a) of the Controlled Substances Import and Export Act and in accordance with Title 21, Code of Federal Regulations, Section 1301.34, the above firm is granted registration as an importer of the basic class of controlled substance listed above.Dated: July 17, 1998. John H. King, Deputy Assistant Administrator, Office of Diversion Control, Drug Enforcement Administration.it gets better:http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/fed_regs/imprt/reg/2002/fr03272.htmTheir paperwork is up to date:http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/fed_regs/imprt/reg/2003/fr01156.htmOf course, the company in question has been questionable for some time:http://www.longmontfyi.com/cotter/cotter4.htmAnother factor of relevance is that cannabis use, production and trade is criminalized, yet companies whose products specifically would compete in that market are protected from prosecution for their environmental and societal damage:from: http://www.corporate-ir.net/ireye/ir_site.zhtml?ticker=SCL&script=2100 Although Stepan is classified with other specialty chemical companies, it is unique in the industry and does not have a competitor or competitors to precisely match its businesses because its products have a specific focus. Product Lines Key words: surfactants, germicidal quaternary compounds, polymers, natural flavors for the beverage industry, esters, fats and oils used as emulsifiers, solubilizers and alternate fats for the food and pharmaceutical industry. Strategic alliances by leveraging its core technologies in world markets with joint ventures where it adds know-how, technology, capital and customers to complement resources of local partners with raw material supplies, plant sites, regional know-how and connections.(!) and from: http://www.findarticles.com/cf_dls/m3066/1999_Nov_3/57295077/p1/article.jhtml Stepan has tentatively agreed to settle a lawsuit brought by New Jersey residents for alleged personal injuries caused by contamination at Stepan's surfactants site at Maywood. The company attributed the cost of the settlement to lower third-quarter earnings. Net income declined from $5.03 million to almost zero; Stepan says it would otherwise have increased by 25%. Terms have not been finalized. An estimated 548 residents claim that operations of Maywood Chemical Works, acquired by Stepan in 1959, caused health problems ranging from cancer to attention deficit disorder. The lawsuit, filed in Superior Court (New Brunswick) in 1997, alleges that Maywood Chemical Works failed to properly dispose of hazardous materials. The company extracted thorium, a radioactive element, until the late 1950s. The lawsuit claims the radioactive material leaked over time into waterways, soil, and groundwater. The residents filed the lawsuit after a New Jersey Department of Health (Trenton) study of local women showed their rate of brain and nervous system cancers was twice the national average. The company admitted no wrongdoing. -snipalso, from http://www.epa.gov/region02/superfund/npl/0200665c.htmFrom 1916 through 1955, Maywood Chemical Company processed radioactive thorium ore. The residues or tailings from the process operation, clay-like dirt, contained significant quantities of low-level radioactive materials. In addition, other processing operations generated various other types of waste products (such as lanthanum, lithium compounds, detergents, alkaloids, essential oils and products from tea and cocoa leaves). Maywood Chemical Company pumped process wastes to diked areas west of the plant. In 1932, State Route 17 was built through the disposal area. Process wastes migrated onto adjacent properties in Rochelle Park. Some of the waste materials were excavated and used as fill dirt and mulch for nearby properties in Maywood and Lodi. Waste materials were also transported via the old Lodi Brook stream channel (later replaced by a storm water drain system). The result was chemical and radioactive contamination over much of the local area. Maywood Chemical Company was bought by Stepan Chemical Company (later Stepan Company) in 1959. Stepan Company is currently owner/operator of a portion of the original Maywood Chemical Company property. Many of Maywood Chemical Company's operations were discontinued in the 1960s. Stepan Company currently focuses on the production of specialty chemicals.more at:http://www.fusrapmaywood.com/Docs/MISS-156.pdfhttp://198.17.75.65/fril/1999/19990628/99-16265.pdfI contend that DynCorp, Monsanto and other companies have benefited similarly from such violations of antitrust and environmental laws. OV-10 spray planes outfitted with Gatling guns ought to be proof enough that drug war IS crime. Notice to law enforcement: Article III, Section 3 states:"Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying war against them, or in adhering to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort."wage drug peace " . . . it seems to me we should have laws that treat people with respect!" -W [ Post Comment ] Comment #44 posted by Virgil on January 13, 2004 at 07:10:47 PT MS in Canada,DK in D.C, &we are ruled by treason At the Canoe website mentioned by Mayan in comment42 they had a statistic on the prevalence of MS in Canada- http://chealth.canoe.ca/channel_health_news_detail.asp?channel_id=28&menu_item_id=4&news_id=9380 Women are twice as likely as men to develop MS. It's estimated that 50,000 Canadians have the disease. About 100 people per 100,000 in Canada have MS, one of the highest rates of the disease in the world. In some countries, the rate is as low as five cases per 100,000. The idea that vitamin D - or the lack thereof - might be involved in development of the disease isn't new. MS rates are highest in places like Canada where there are long winters with little exposure to sunlight. Consequently, researchers have been exploring the possible vitamin D link for some time. DK wants to give statehood to D.C. that has no representation in Congress. It makes you wonder how he could lose that upcoming primary- http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=108&topic_id=105266And- We are ruled by treason. [ Post Comment ] Comment #43 posted by goneposthole on January 13, 2004 at 06:45:16 PT I don't know, you know, hey but this smacks of stupidity more than anything. This growop is 'organized crime'? Highly doubtful. Organized crime would hardly be this stupid..Excuse me, but organized crime would have handled themselves more intelligently. The way they always do. I have a sneaking suspicion about all of this hoopla. Did the DEA set up this growop just to bust it? I put nothing past this traitorous group of Benedict Arnorlds. When it comes to growops, keep it simple, stupid. 600 to a 1000 square feet for an indoor operation yields the finest bud, and that is that. A hundred places at six hundred square feet per place will be much more difficult to detect than an old brewery. Do it right, do it smart, do it the original way, the American way. No other way works as well. [ Post Comment ] Comment #42 posted by mayan on January 13, 2004 at 06:45:04 PT canoe... Wow, http://www.canoe.ca/ has several articles today on the "dreaded devil weed"...Barrie marijuana grow factory the largest in the country: Cops http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/TorontoSun/News/2004/01/13/311914.htmlWeed labs tops in T.O. http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/TorontoSun/News/2004/01/13/311913.htmlThe buzz on hemp: http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/TorontoSun/News/2004/01/13/311912.htmlPot ops expand - Equipment legal, enforcement lax: http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/TorontoSun/News/2004/01/13/311895.html [ Post Comment ] Comment #41 posted by mayan on January 13, 2004 at 05:52:27 PT Related... Pot factory biggest in Canada - Nine charged after 25,000 plants, living quarters found in old brewery: http://www.herald.ns.ca/stories/2004/01/13/fCanada149.raw.htmlSort'a related...Surrey man shot during grow-rip: http://www.thenownewspaper.com/013104/news/013104nn2.htmlIt looks like everyone is getting in on the action. Way to go, prohibitionists! You've created an "epidemic"! The only solution is outright legalization.The way out is the way in...9/11 panelists eye Bush, Bill: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/wn_report/story/154067p-135566c.htmlWhite House, 9/11 probe panel at loggerheads: http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/holnus/00312114578.htm9/11 has become the ultimate excuse: http://batr.org/wrack/011104.html9/11 For The Truth - Mariani vs. Bush: http://www.911forthetruth.com/Bush Served With 9/11 RICO Complaint: http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article5479.htm [ Post Comment ] Comment #40 posted by The GCW on January 13, 2004 at 05:33:37 PT 2 polls in case You haven't seen them... DK - http://www.truthout.orgKucinich = 44.8%Dean = 32.2%& Kucinich has been going up.36.3% - 36.5% - 42.4% - 42.9% - 43.4% - 44.8% & going up.420%Globe Poll If marijuana growers were licensed and all sales taxed, would the economic benefit outweigh the social harm?Yes -- 1756 votes (67 %) No -- 852 votes (33 %) Total Votes: 2608 Vote Here: http://www.globeandmail.com/ [ Post Comment ] Comment #39 posted by JR Bob Dobbs on January 13, 2004 at 05:24:35 PT LTE Sirs, When Barrie police chief Wayne Frechette says this was no "mom-and-pop" operation, someone should ask him why he put mom and pop out of business. All raids like this do is drive up the price, which attracts more violent criminals and continues the vicious cycle. So why not treat marijuana like alcohol and sell it in shops? Then the criminal black market would vanish overnight. Our police no longer raid breweries and speakeasies, and while some people still have a drinking problem, society as a whole is safer and more sober. Once marijuana prohibition is safely in the past, we will likely look back on it with a similar "what were we thinking" feeling. [ Post Comment ] Comment #38 posted by TroutMask on January 13, 2004 at 01:43:42 PT Clarification By the way, my comment was supposed to be a characterization of "Church Lady" as portrayed by Dana Carvey on Saturday Night Live, in a skit called "Church Chat". I didn't mean it in any other way. I hoped the joke would go over better, but such is comedy. haha.:-)-TM [ Post Comment ] Comment #37 posted by freedom fighter on January 13, 2004 at 00:53:00 PT TroutMask, tell those sweet ladies Gee, lady, better hurry up and go to the Walgreen store and buy a Brand name 666 Cold preparation!Meanwhile, somewhere on a golf course(there are many), two friends from both side, played the 18 holes and switch the golf bags.Pazff [ Post Comment ] Comment #36 posted by FoM on January 12, 2004 at 23:26:42 PT Virgil One more thing. I'm really tired and I didn't say anything about what you posted about NarcoNews. You made it easier for me to understand with your explanation. I wish them the best of luck and much success. Thanks! [ Post Comment ] Comment #35 posted by FoM on January 12, 2004 at 23:18:21 PT Thanks afterburner! That's great news to end the day. Tomorrow is the big day for the Montel Williams Show. It will air where I live at 3 pm et. He wants the laws changed on medical marijuana in all 50 states. I hope he says that on his show tomorrow. Where To Watch: http://www.montelshow.com/misc/where_2_watch.htmMontel Williams: 'Climbing Higher': http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread18120.shtmlImportant E-Mail News - Montel Williams: http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread18120.shtml#29 [ Post Comment ] Comment #34 posted by afterburner on January 12, 2004 at 23:10:16 PT: All charges drop'd against CC publisher Marc Emery Emery prepares for North American elections by Reverend Damuzi (12 Jan, 2004) All charges against Cannabis Culture publisher Marc Emery have been dropped in connection with his Summer of Legalization Smoke-Out Tour, which saw him smoking joints in front of police stations across the nation in 2003. F U L L S T O R Y http://www.cannabisculture.com/articles/3288.html [ Post Comment ] Comment #33 posted by FoM on January 12, 2004 at 22:50:48 PT Virgil Thanks! I guess I thought coca was used in some way with the making of coca cola but I can't remember where I read it. I did a search and found this article from the Miami Herald that mentions some details.http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/6232078.htm [ Post Comment ] Comment #32 posted by afterburner on January 12, 2004 at 22:41:54 PT: Globe& Mail Poll - Still Open, Still Rising Current Results Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2004 If marijuana growers were licensed and all sales taxed, would the economic benefit outweigh the social harm? Yes 2611 votes (69 %) No 1189 votes (31 %) Total Votes: 3800 "In the last days of Prohibition beer trucks drove freely through the streets" [ Post Comment ] Comment #31 posted by Virgil on January 12, 2004 at 21:32:02 PT Logical Conclusion 68% Continued failure 32% I just voted at the poll you put up, FoM.It is hard to explain how big a deal it is that NarcoNews is back up on the Internet. Their annual budget will only be $60,000. $30,000 could come from the Tides Fund for Drug Policy Reform - affiliated with Nadelmann's DPA.NarcoNews does journalism. They publish reports just like the New York Times and they think they can operate on $60,000. These guys are on a mission. They are very much against the drug war. They see the rise of true democracy in South America and Latin America as what will kill the drug war. If I tried to explain how big a deal this is, people would not believe it. Some people here have come the conclusion that they have been lied to their whole lives. NarcoNews is about bringing TRUTH to all of the people of the war about democracy and the drug war in South America up to Mexico. They advocate Authenic Journalism. This means first hand reporting from people other than officialdom in a way that is not practiced in America today. You might say that they believe "The truth will set you free."Like I said, people cannot comprehend how big this is. Would you believe that NarcoNews played a central role in keeping the democratically elected Chavez as president of Venezula. When the press put out the story that people were on strike and protesting and American media would do the Carl Rove thing of showing a picture to be believed, NarcoNews said it was a lie. They were locked out of their jobs by those that wanted to depose Chavez.It is all in this article at NarcoNews telling of the comeback in February- http://www.narconews.com/Issue32/article888.html People should read this article if they want to see the future of democracy om what Al Giordano calls America and here news coming out of all lands south of Galveston.The best money Soros could make to for the betterment of the world would be to donate to NarcoNews. It is that big of a deal. These guys are crusaders for TRUTH. I think L.E.A.P. is going to make one serious contribution to ending CP and the drug wars. NarcoNews will affect the growth of democracy which will end the drug wars. If someone would say that the importance of NarcoNews is 10 times more important to ending the drug wars than L.E.A.P., I could see it. The total impact of a viable NarcoNews is could easily be 100 times more important than L.E.A.P. and in full blossum would be multiples of 100's.What comes out of NarcoNews is believable to me. They are all about having credible facts. Now here is an example of what truth can do. I put this up at marijuana.com and some just could not believe it. As for me, I say everything in this article is correct and you lied to in either commission of a falsity or the withholding of the truth. Coca-cola still uses coca. Is that not a big deal. Here it is and let's see how you handle the truth- http://www.narconews.com/Issue26/article569.html [ Post Comment ] Comment #30 posted by FoM on January 12, 2004 at 20:13:31 PT Globe and Mail Poll Current Results:Globe Poll If marijuana growers were licensed and all sales taxed, would the economic benefit outweigh the social harm? Yes -- 1756 votes (67 %) No -- 852 votes (33 %) Total Votes: 2608 Vote Here: http://www.globeandmail.com/ [ Post Comment ] Comment #29 posted by FoM on January 12, 2004 at 19:35:27 PT Virgil That's all way over my head. I don't understand it. It sounds very complicated to me. [ Post Comment ] Comment #28 posted by TroutMask on January 12, 2004 at 19:33:04 PT Church Lady Comments Hmmm, yes. Why is marijuana so profitable? Hmmm, let's see...It'sSafe to grow since so many people are doing it but extremely few get caught.Always profitable, since it's illegal.Totally uncontrolled by the government. Only criminals control illegal substances in high demand.Always available, regardless of billions of dollars spent on intervention.Never going to go away.Hmmm, S...A...T...A...N....could marijuana be profitable because of SATAN!?!?!?!I think so!-Church Lady [ Post Comment ] Comment #27 posted by Virgil on January 12, 2004 at 19:28:09 PT I promise nothing else tonight from the NYT forum All that follows is a copy and paste-algiordano - 10:16 PM ET January 12, 2004 (#20767 of 20772)So, how could this new way of reporting work? Very nice "Live from Golgotha" parody, randomeyes... Let me speak briefly on this "new way" we're constructing for Narco News, because while it's going to borrow from some successful projects, like Indymedia, or bloggers, it's going to take it much farther in terms of our specific goals... Bloggers are great, but they don't generally do reported stories... And the public wants reported stories, with verifiable facts, access to the source material, to be able to make up its own mind... IndyMedia is great, but it lets anyone, even lots of folks who clearly have bad faith toward the project, come in and from time to time overwhelm the project with sideshows so the good stuff gets lost in the haze... But what if we had, say, at the beginning, 200 smart journalists and readers of good faith, who all wanted the project to succeed, and who already showed that good faith by donating their labor or resources? And what if these became the people driving the publication... and it grew, then, to 300... to 500... to a thousand "autenticos" doing the fact-checking, raising the ideas, yes, expressing opinions and debating them, but also doing the hard work that is required to get the real truth out there? That's what we're putting together now with our "copublishers accounts" and another team of journalists - some of whom are present with us here tonight - who will blog on daily "Reporters Notebooks"... now, the little website that could starts to gather some serious traction and counter-weight to the big simulators. Are y'all getting this? Or am I skipping over key parts? [ Post Comment ] Comment #26 posted by Virgil on January 12, 2004 at 19:12:43 PT NYT forum The news is about NarcoNews coming back with people raising money for them. NarcoNews began something about like Cnews has where people can comment on the articles.I think the discussion will be archived and is still going on. These paragraphs seem worth putting up because he wants all the bullshit held up for criticism.Ideally, an entire committee should be dedicated to picking apart every word typed by Juan Forero and published on NYT's pages! And another group could take on Larry Rohter. This is part of what webmaster Dan Feder and the rest of us are now designing... the system that makes that kind of massive participation possible. This is already happening in United States politics... massive internet blogging and scrutiny of press reports... but now it needs to happen in journalism, in Media, where the more powerful "State" exists without the scrutiny it claims to offer all the other estates. Soon, it will be the Fourth Estate's turn to have the klieg lights turned upon it... and in this, we need your collaboration. [ Post Comment ] Comment #25 posted by BlakNo1 on January 12, 2004 at 18:14:04 PT: truthout poll Also, in the moveon.org primary, where nearly 2 million people voted, Dennis placed second. I think he will shock many by placing fairly high in NH. [ Post Comment ] Comment #24 posted by Max Flowers on January 12, 2004 at 18:04:12 PT yippierevolutionary you wrote: All those HPS lights thousands upon thousands of watts. The Sun is free!! Free the weed to save energy!!A noble notion, but there's something you need to understand about growing indoors. You can grow two or three crops indoors in the time it takes one outdoors. And the product is usually better. Yes they get bigger outdoors and the light is free, but outdoors comes with many problems/threats that offset that... like deer, people, insects, cops, just to name a few. So you see why people do it indoors. When it is finally legalized people will start growing indoors in incredible numbers and you will see an explosion of breeding and trading. [ Post Comment ] Comment #23 posted by The GCW on January 12, 2004 at 17:53:46 PT Big scary news in Jeb Bush's Florida! US FL: Miami Federal Court Has 'Secret Docket' To Keep CasesPubdate: Thu, 08 Jan 2004 Source: Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, FL)http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v04/n070/a07.html?397More Bush family links to hell...Florida again! Bush, Bush & Florida. """Now, the American Civil Liberties Union and the media group, representing The New York Times, The Washington Post, ABC, CNN and other news organizations, are objecting, saying it hampers their ability to inform the public. "We're happy that the cavalry is coming to the rescue," Strafer said. "This is a dangerous precedent. The media and the public should be alarmed that people can be sent to prison without anyone even knowing they had a case." [ Post Comment ] Comment #22 posted by goneposthole on January 12, 2004 at 17:35:33 PT money is the only reason Too much American cash is falling into the hands of Canadian growers. More than likely, my WAG, ATM cash withdrawals and increased credit card debt.Maybe getting to the point where people could care less how much is on their credit cards. The average credit card debt is 16,000 USD per household. How much of that goes towards cannabis purchases?Maybe, maybe not. Just my theory. [ Post Comment ] Comment #21 posted by The GCW on January 12, 2004 at 17:19:47 PT Virgil posted this poll earlier... & it is good. DK - http://www.truthout.orgKucinich = 43.4%Dean = 32.3%& Kucinich has been going up.36.3% - 36.5% - 42.4% - 42.9% - 43.4% going up.420%Kucinich, put in writing that as PRESIDENT He WILL: "DECRIMINALIZE MARIJUANA" -"in favor of a drug policy that sets reasonable boundaries for marijuana use by establishing guidelines similar to those already in place for alcohol." (POSTED ON His website!) http://www.kucinich.us/issues/marijuana_decrim.php [ Post Comment ] Comment #20 posted by Virgil on January 12, 2004 at 17:19:15 PT Doin's at the NYT forums January 9, 2004 Please Distribute WidelyDear Colleague,We're gearing up, investigating and reporting stories, meeting with our Authentic Journalists around the hemisphere, and coming closer to the day, very soon, when Narco News begins publishing again. That's when we'll unveil the all-new interactive online international newspaper of the future, too.Meanwhile, we want your input and participation. So we have accepted an interesting invitation for Monday night, January 12th, at 9 p.m. Eastern Time, at a perhaps unlikely online location, where we'll be chatting, live, with you…>"The Drug Policy Forum of the New York Times-Online has invited Al >Giordano, publisher of NarcoNews.com to be its guest on Monday, January >12th. Also present for this live online press conference will be Andrew >Grice, treasurer of The Fund for Authentic Journalism>"The ongoing series of invitees includes judges, governors, authors and >dozens of other guests speaking about the 89-year-old war on drugs. These >online discussions were initiated by the forum participants and are >arranged through the auspices of the New York Times, the Drug Truth Network >and the host of the Cultural Baggage radio show, Dean Becker.>"Mr. Giordano will be online at 9 PM EDT for approximately one hour. We >invite your participation.>"(A transcript of this discussion will be stored on the forum website.)"Joining us, also, will be Andrew Grice, treasurer of The Fund for Authentic Journalism, and some of our Authentic Journalists from throughout a country called América.We'll be offering news reports and commentary, and fielding questions about current events regarding the drug war and democracy in Latin America, plus elaborating more on our plans - and soliciting your ideas - for the re-launch of Narco News in the coming weeks.If you already have a NY Times online account (it's free), simply go to this link at 9 p.m. ET on Monday:http://forums.nytimes.com/top/opinion/readersopinions/forums/national/drugpolicy/index.html?page=recentIf you don't yet have one, you can sign up for one here:http://www.nytimes.com/auth/loginIn the meantime, if you would like to submit questions in advance, just email me.From somewhere in a country called América,Al Giordano Publisher The Narco News Bulletin http://www.narconews.com narconews hotmail.com [ Post Comment ] Comment #19 posted by E_Johnson on January 12, 2004 at 16:36:52 PT ACLU defends Rush Limbaugh in court Oh oh Bill O'Reilly might want to rethink his position: MIAMI (Reuters) - The American Civil Liberties Union (news - web sites) took sides with Rush Limbaugh on Monday by complaining that Florida investigators violated the conservative radio host's rights when they seized his medical records. [ Post Comment ] Comment #18 posted by E_Johnson on January 12, 2004 at 16:32:23 PT Bill O'Reilly's gone completely nuts He's saying that the ACLU is fascist and the most dangerous group in the world today. [ Post Comment ] Comment #17 posted by FoM on January 12, 2004 at 16:12:42 PT The GCW Thanks! I was wondering if I was the only one seeing this the way I was. I keep thinking about alcohol prohibition and some event keeps popping into my mind and I think it's about a club called the 21 club in New York but if that isn't the name maybe it will stir someones memory. Important people got caught in a sting and the laws on alcohol changed fairly quickly I think. If anyone knows more please explain it better then I am. [ Post Comment ] Comment #16 posted by SystemGoneDown on January 12, 2004 at 16:06:07 PT Vigilant I like how the chief uses the word "Vigilant". More like "aware" or "careful" from getting caught. People don't give a ---- no more. Majority feels pot is harmless, bottomline. And they still treat it to be forbidden. [ Post Comment ] Comment #15 posted by Virgil on January 12, 2004 at 16:01:59 PT Jerry Cloer and illegal fishing Some people might remember a country kind of comedian that died maybe 10 years ago, that told stories. These people growing synthetic gold reminds me of Jerry Cloers line about two guys out fishing.The story line resembles this. Two people are a little more than tipsy and they go out in a pond in a boat fishing. One guy pulls out a stick of dynamite, lights it, throws it in, and of course fish just float to the top. One guy says it illegal and they guy says, "Shut up and let's fish." [ Post Comment ] Comment #14 posted by The GCW on January 12, 2004 at 15:58:37 PT Very good, FoM & kaptinemo, I may not have thought of these... without Your mention...In an aside: cannabis is a cousin to hops. Hops are used in making beer. This took place in a brewery. I doubt very seriously the operators of this grow op would have grasped the irony...or perhaps, on second thought, maybe they did.&We might find out that the laws will change if really important people are connected to this. Does anyone else think this too? [ Post Comment ] Comment #13 posted by Shishaldin on January 12, 2004 at 15:55:22 PT My thoughts exactly, Kapt.... This is straight out of the ONDCP/DEA playbook: "Deputy Commissioner Vaughn Collins... said that the grow-op in the former brewery was the “largest and most sophisticated” in Canada. He said that marijuana grown in Canada is routinely shipped to the U.S. and traded for cocaine that it then smuggled back into Canada."Yep, another weird and not very bright smuggling story from the imagination of the ONDCP/DEA. WHY would smugglers make TWO trips across the border with contraband to only have a product they STILL need to sell when they got back to Canada? Simple, it's called FABRICATED FICTION. Another scary story for 'Muricans and now Canadians, it seems. (Check out Kapt's and BGreen's comments from last June: http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/16/thread16486.shtml) It also ties in nicely with Johnny PEE Walters' "BC Bud is the Crack cocaine of Marijuana" insinuation. Another stupid meme that they keep hoping we'll swallow. Barf... [ Post Comment ] Comment #12 posted by escapegoat on January 12, 2004 at 15:39:08 PT Of course the DEA is in Canada DEA collaboration? You bet! They have offices in Ottawa and Vancouver, and smaller mission operating out of the counsulates in Montreal, Toronto and other cities. The New Democrats are going to target this as a sovereignty issue in the upcoming election. Kick the DEA out!"Currently, the Ottawa Country Office, staffed with three Special Agents and one Administrative Staff, is the only DEA presence in Canada. However, the Vancouver Resident Office will open in June 2003 with a staff of three Special Agents and one Administrative Support. As an additional show of commitment to the region, an Intelligence Research Specialist will report to the Ottawa Country Office by the end of 2003. The opening of the Vancouver Resident Office will enhance our enforcement efforts to address the smuggling of drugs and list chemicals through British Columbia into the Untied States." News from DEA, Congressional Testimony, 05/19/03 [ Post Comment ] Comment #11 posted by FoM on January 12, 2004 at 15:26:29 PT Who Owns The Companies? We might find out that the laws will change if really important people are connected to this. Does anyone else think this too? [ Post Comment ] Comment #10 posted by kaptinemo on January 12, 2004 at 15:19:19 PT: All according to script, so far "Script?", I hear someone say. "What do you mean, 'script'?".The following is a link to an in-depth local broadcast stream: http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1073921469945_69330669/?hub=TopStories#Take special note of the newsreader interviewing a local police chief.The newsreader asks the chief directly, "Wouldn't decriminalization solve the problem?" and the chief does not answer directly, but instead goes off on a wild tangent about how they have to end organized crime operations. Of course, it's no answer...because they don't have any. The same old song and dance...and practically scripted from the DEA's playbook. No deviation. Never answer directly. Steer the conversation away from legalization back to the influences of organized crime...which, of course, wouldn't receive their funds if the weed were legal.But then again, neither would the police. A pattern has developed these past 3 years, one that becomes very clear in retrospect: every time cananbists score a minor victory, the prohibs mount a massive effort to wipe away any trace of that victory by using any and all methods to re-iterate their position. And they do it in a an especially public manner, as a means of intimidation as well as propaganda. This is why I suspect that, given the very limited resources of Canadian police, particularly regarding criminal intelligence operations, this kind of move smacks of DEA collaboration if not outright direction.It's so like them.In an aside: cannabis is a cousin to hops. Hops are used in making beer. This took place in a brewery. I doubt very seriously the operators of this grow op would have grasped the irony...or perhaps, on second thought, maybe they did. [ Post Comment ] Comment #9 posted by FoM on January 12, 2004 at 15:12:41 PT Where Will This Lead? This is really a big operation. I never heard of anything this big ever! Where will the money trail lead? This is far from over in my opinion. [ Post Comment ] Comment #8 posted by The GCW on January 12, 2004 at 15:08:20 PT A THOUSAND of those busts, would still not make a dent.Citizens accross the planet support cannabis. &In case anyone hasn't heard: Democratic Presidential nominee, Dennis Kucinich, put in writing that as PRESIDENT He WILL: "DECRIMINALIZE MARIJUANA" -"in favor of a drug policy that sets reasonable boundaries for marijuana use by establishing guidelines similar to those already in place for alcohol." (POSTED ON His website!) http://www.kucinich.us/issues/marijuana_decrim.php http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread17917.shtml [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by yippierevolutionary on January 12, 2004 at 14:39:52 PT Wow What a waste of electricity All those HPS lights thousands upon thousands of watts. The Sun is free!! Free the weed to save energy!!At least Canada gets most of its electricity from hydroelectric plants. These paranoic cops, epidemic proportions jeez. One thousand pounds of marijuana does not scare me. One million pounds should not scare anyone unless it was falling on them. [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by FoM on January 12, 2004 at 13:47:07 PT Related Video CFTO Toronto: Massive Barrie, Ontario pot-grow operation stuns police with its magnitude and costs -- 4:55 http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1073921469945_69330669/?hub=TopStories [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by FoM on January 12, 2004 at 13:44:08 PT druid I'm sorry. We must have posted all the pics at the same time. [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by FoM on January 12, 2004 at 13:32:31 PT Here's More Pictures Puff_tuff posted these on the other article. Here they are!With apologies to Frank Discussion: http://frankdiscussion.netfirms.com/http://www.cannabisculture.com/uploads//771096-1.jpghttp://www.cannabisculture.com/uploads//771098-2.jpghttp://www.cannabisculture.com/uploads//771100-3.jpghttp://www.cannabisculture.com/uploads//771104-4.jpghttp://www.cannabisculture.com/uploads//771107-5.jpghttp://www.cannabisculture.com/uploads//771110-6.jpghttp://www.cannabisculture.com/uploads//771111-7.jpghttp://www.cannabisculture.com/uploads//771114-8.jpg http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread18129.shtml#3 [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by druid on January 12, 2004 at 13:28:22 PT corrected link sorry http://www.acura-cl.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=127052 [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by druid on January 12, 2004 at 13:27:49 PT pics of the brewery here are some pics...http://www.acura-cl.com/forums/show...threadid=127052 [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by westnyc on January 12, 2004 at 13:27:38 PT Epidemic Proportions ?commercial marijuana factories have reached epidemic proportions in Ontario,? police said Monday.OH MY GOD!!! "Epidemic proportions;" - That means there's more than "ONE"!!! [ Post Comment ] Post Comment