cannabisnews.com: Livin' in Grass Houses





Livin' in Grass Houses
Posted by CN Staff on June 19, 2002 at 07:39:21 PT
By Thane Burnett
Source: Toronto Sun
It's always difficult to fight wars on two lines. In this case, we seem to be losing at least one -- on the homefront. As Canadians put resources into the terrorism battle, local police forces are now overwhelmed with the number of homegrown drug operations springing up. While the two campaigns may seem a world apart -- perhaps they aren't so far removed from one another. Because, if you thought the street you live on is relatively free of organized crime -- as it likely is with terrorist threats -- you may want to think again. 
"He was a nice man, who said they were moving from Vancouver -- his licence and job checked out. I wouldn't have guessed what would happen," said the 56-year-old landlord, of the man who, a year ago, rented an Oakville home from him. The landlord was stunned last month when Halton Police told him the man was running a pot farm inside the home. That homegrown marijuana bust didn't produce any arrests -- the family, including at least two young children, had hurriedly packed up and left before drug officers smashed in the doors -- but it did net almost 500 plants worth an estimated $467,000. And it's left the unsuspecting landlord with about $50,000 in property damage and a $14,682 bill, to cover power his tenants stole from the system. The house is built steps from a church. In fact, there were few hints the clan inside had transformed the brick manor into a drug farm. Mattresses were kept on the first floor for sleeping while the basement and once beautiful upstairs were used to grow weed. Even the main bathroom was transformed into a chemical lab. Police estimate there are now 10,000 pot farms, like that one, working around the clock in the GTA -- most operating next door to law-abiding residents. Dramatic, door-crashing busts of the clandestine farms is now so commonplace -- last week, dogged York Regional Police brought down their 100th grow-house this year -- they're often buried in the newspaper, ignored on television newscasts, and rarely even noticed by a public that's grown used to such images. But officials are becoming increasingly alarmed at the staggering numbers they are facing and unable to keep up. "We're not winning the war -- not at all," said York Regional Det. Sgt. Gary Miner, an expert on the farms. "We talk about cutting the grass every day, but we just don't have the manpower." At the start of the year, his force had a list of 168 grow-houses to execute warrants on. They've gone into 102, and their tip list is now at 325. Consider the numbers when considering who's winning. Each operation contains a usual minimum of 400 plants -- translating into a possible street-profit of $1.6-million from each house, every year. LIGHT SENTENCES Many of those caught -- entering a court system drowning in such cases -- are walking away with less than a year. Some receive conditional sentences of house arrest -- which seems slightly ironic. Especially since 95% of those bandits stole residential hydro to keep their lamps burning -- each draining $18,000 to $20,000 from the hydro system a year. In Markham alone, an estimated 300 homes are stealing juice to power up their grow lights. It's why hydro firms are now fighting back -- even passing on the bills to innocent landlords. Oakville Hydro CEO, Alex Bystrin, estimates his utility company is losing $1 million each year to illegal pot operations. So they're standing unusually tough on landlords, who Bystrin argues should be more vigilant. If landlords are businessmen, they should be prepared to deal with losses, the CEO said. "It's their property," he explained, adding it's unfair to have the rest of the community shoulder the theft. "It's criminalization of the community ... we're trying to deal with it," Bystrin added. As well as the theft of power, officials are seeing a rise in violence at the homes -- including booby traps. Local fire officials estimate one in eight catch fire. Then there are the neighbours who ignore suspicions. While, for them, it may not seem as urgent as the war getting the front-page treatment, in this campaign, officials know where the bad guys live and work. Right next door. Note: Drug homes taking over neighbourhoods.Source: Toronto Sun (CN ON)Author: Thane BurnettPublished: Wednesday, June 19, 2002 Copyright: 2001, Canoe Limited PartnershipContact: editor sunpub.comWebsite: http://www.fyitoronto.com/torsun.shtmlRelated Articles & Web Site:Canadian Linkshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/can.htmMarijuana Grow-Ops in B.C. Jumped by 222 Percent http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13118.shtmlDrug Czar Visits Canada Wants Tougher War on Pot http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13109.shtml
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Comment #6 posted by kaptinemo on June 20, 2002 at 06:04:00 PT:
Patterns
Yes, R-earing, I've noticed this as well. It would be interesting to correlate this pattern with governmentaql organizations, police and 'concerned citizens groups' having little kaffeeklatsches on taxpayer's money and facilities as Barry and the Governor of Ohio did. The timing of these events and these actions are just a bit too coincidental. I would not be in the least surprised to learn that that is exactly what has been happening.
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Comment #5 posted by freedom fighter on June 19, 2002 at 17:26:15 PT
This really bugs me
"Even the main bathroom was transformed into a chemical lab. "Common myth: One needs to obtain deadly chemicals in order to grow a simple plant... Oh PLZZZZZZZZ!HELLLLLLO???? Even a sheep would know what grass to graze upon on. EXACT same stuff we feed our plants. R-Earing, you got that right, it is all CANNNNNED propaganda. It's too bad that the publisher thought it was all right to publish this rubbish!ff
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Comment #4 posted by escapegoat on June 19, 2002 at 15:34:26 PT:
Getting the "other side's" message out
It will be interesting to see if the east coast coverage follows this same layout.I suspect that it will.Within a month or so we will probably see stories concerning how lightly the prosecuted growers fared in court-with predictable calls for a crackdown.A month after that,euphemistically named parents' groups will ask for more anti-drug education.
I too see the pattern. However, in BC (Vancouver especially) there are people in the cannabis community that get the other side, the anti-prohibitionist side, of the story out in the media. In Toronto, there is no such "point group" like BCMP in Van.
This will change...very soon. We will be announcing our activities and strategies very shortly.
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Comment #3 posted by Dan B on June 19, 2002 at 13:11:38 PT:
Damages
Compare these statements:That homegrown marijuana bust didn't produce any arrests -- the family, including at least two young children, had hurriedly packed up and left before drug officers smashed in the doors -- but it did net almost 500 plants worth an estimated $467,000. And it's left the unsuspecting landlord with about $50,000 in property damage and a $14,682 bill, to cover power his tenants stole from the system. . . . and . . .Dramatic, door-crashing busts of the clandestine farms is now so commonplace -- last week, dogged York Regional Police brought down their 100th grow-house this year -- they're often buried in the newspaper, ignored on television newscasts, and rarely even noticed by a public that's grown used to such images. Now, answer this question: How much damage does the typical grow-op cause to a home? I'm not talking about the worst-case scenario types of operations in which someone who read about electrical wiring in a book decided to tap into the electricity grid; I'm talking about the average grow-op where people handle things like electricity correctly. How much damage can even 500 plants do to a home? The reason I'm asking is that it seems to me that the "dramatic, door-crashing busts" would be far more likely to blame than the plants for that $50,000 in damage. And as for stealing electricity, well, I have to concede that this is the only real crime involved in the whole operation, and it would be eliminated if people weren't compelled by prohibition to hide their electricity usage when growing these wonderful plants.Dan B
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Comment #2 posted by Naaps on June 19, 2002 at 10:28:27 PT
Just more Police Propaganda
Agreed R-earing, the media coverage is similar – it’s propaganda. A couple years ago, I recall reading that the RCMP has a wing that distributes ‘information’ that advances the police cause. Now I know this particular story comes from Ontario, with the OPP, but I’m prepared to believe that the same mechanism is in place. Recall at the IDEAS Conference (nark junket by another name), one of the lecture topics was getting your (prohibitionist) message out. Clearly, the police feel threatened by public attitudes, jeopardizing their livelihoods, so the grow-op threat is played to the hilt.There’s a standard procedure behind the typical story. Smudge and smear in the public’s perception that all cannabis grown indoors comes at great expense to the dwelling. This includes risks of fire, stolen electricity with dangerous bypasses, structural modifications to the home, possible mold and water damage. Yes, this can happen, but I doubt it is as common as the police want you to believe. Accentuate any stories where damage has been done. Hammer this on the perspective landlord - make them suspicious. In the case of many B.C. municipalities, police pressure on local politicians has succeeded in modifying local bylaws making the landlord responsible for monitoring activities within the rental home, else being hit with fines.Meanwhile, the media enthusiastically parroting the police agenda, always fail to mention properly maintained small indoor gardens, possibly benefiting medical users. The fact is that cannabis can be grown indoors safely. Also, the story rarely interviews the people responsible for the growing. They probably have interesting stories, but it’s the cop’s propaganda, which is promulgated.Worse, for all the scare stories, few to none mention that cannabis as an outdoor agricultural crop would pose few risks or problems; the stories are crafted to omit the obvious solution. Of course, a spate of stories are coming warning of outdoor growers protecting their crops with booby traps, or waiting in the woods with guns. These are exceptional instances, which the cops run with because they meet their agenda of prompting their cause, and hopefully advance their budgets and manpower.  
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Comment #1 posted by R-Earing on June 19, 2002 at 09:23:01 PT:
Eastern hysteria?
I've been monitoring the Canadian cannabis news and I've noticed a signifigant spike in coverage,especially in the Toronto and Halton-Peel regions.It almost seems like "somebody" is acting as a publicist/press agent-regulary releasing variations on the theme of rental grow house damage.This mirrors exactly the west coast stories of last year.First,there was a round of grow damage stories.Secondly there was a barage of "we busted him,but the courts let him go" stories.Lastly, there was a lot of stories about how local parents want to bring in DARE or something similar.It will be interesting to see if the east coast coverage follows this same layout.I suspect that it will.Within a month or so we will probably see stories concerning how lightly the prosecuted growers fared in court-with predictable calls for a crackdown.A month after that,euphemistically named parents' groups will ask for more anti-drug education.It seems like a "folklore" team was dispatched from the west coast to repeat their "advertising blitz" on the east coast.
Has anybody else noticed this cyclical news package being deployed in their area? The repetitive temporal sequencing implies that it is all coming from somebodies'big ring binder O' propaganda.It all just seems canned.Any thoughts?
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