cannabisnews.com: Police Not Invited To New Legal Grow-op Police Not Invited To New Legal Grow-op Posted by CN Staff on October 05, 2002 at 22:06:43 PT By Martha Wickett, Record Reporter Source: Royal City Record While some media outlets received a guided tour this week through a medicinal marijuana grow operation in Queensborough, New Westminster police haven't yet had the pleasure. Staff Sgt. Casey Dehaas says police hope that the people running the licensed Marijuana Factory will allow them a visit. "We'd like to have a look at it - we'd like to see the licence permitted to grow this and under what conditions," he said. Up to 110 marijuana plants to be used for medical purposes will be grown by three users licensed by Health Canada, say media reports. Dehaas, meanwhile, says police have a lot of research to do. He said Health Canada is bound by the privacy act, so won't tell police who has received licences. "That's going to be a real problem for us and for police across Canada. I understand there was a case in Quebec or Ontario where the drug squad had information - hydro rates, smell - and went to the JP for a warrant. The JP asked what information you have that this is not a licensed, legal grow operation - and the police didn't have any. So the JP said 'I can't give you a search warrant then.' That might be appealed, but that's one of the roadblocks we'll run into." He said the conditions and rules of the licences will be important - will they fit into local zoning bylaws, will they be safe - as will having someone to oversee and enforce the conditions. "Who's going to ensure the grow-op is a safe one - have they wired the hydroponics up safely as we know fires occur?" Dehaas asks, adding that grow operations damage houses in ways other than fire. "Do they have to inform the landlord they're going to set up a grow operation which will probably destroy the house?" He also wonders if such operations would require a business licence. "The city has a substance bylaw that prohibits any marijuana grows." In July of 2001, New Westminster city council passed a bylaw to prohibit the use of property for the trade, business or manufacture of controlled substances. It was aimed at marijuana grow ops, methamphetamine labs and crack houses. Under the bylaw, if a property is used as a grow operation, the supply of electricity, water or natural gas won't be reconnected and the property can't be occupied until certain obligations are met. They include getting inspections and permits and paying fees required to ensure the property is compliant with the city's bylaws and any provincial statutes or regulations. As for provincial regulations, children who are found in a residence used as a grow operation can be seized by the provincial government. Sgt. Ivan Chu of the police drug squad commented after a raid last year: "The alarming thing is that a lot of the children being apprehended (from grow operations) have severe allergies. It's a real health concern." Overall, Dehaas says, police are trying to get some answers from Health Canada as well as the federal justice department. "There are a lot of unanswered question here; it goes on and on... We have a lot of concerns for the community - safety of the community is our first concern." Source: Royal City Record (CN BC)Author: Martha Wickett, Record Reporter Published: Thursday, October 03, 2002 Copyright: 2002 Lower Mainland Publishing Group Inc.Contact: editorial royalcityrecord.comWebsite: http://www.royalcityrecord.com/Related Articles & Web Site:Canadian Linkshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/can.htmB.C. Marijuana Factory Opens To Produce Pot http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14308.shtmlPot Factory To Be First in Canada, Group Says http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14295.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #3 posted by FoM on October 06, 2002 at 22:33:50 PT VitaminT Current Poll Results Are you in favour of licenced marijuana grow operations for medicinal purposes? Yes 25 -- 96.15 % No 1 -- 3.85 % TOTAL 26 -- 100.00 Vote: http://www.royalcityrecord.com/ [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by VitaminT on October 06, 2002 at 10:01:23 PT Visit the Royal City Record LTE:Martha Wickett's Oct. 5, 2002 article "Police Not Invited to New Legal Grow-op" raises some interesting questions that the police usually don't concern themselves with. Ms. Wickett quotes police officers asking questions like: Who is insuring that Grow operations are safe? Who is protecting the property of landlords? Who is responsible for issuing the business license?In a legal and regulated market all of these questions would have answers. People would have protection from and recourse against unscrupulous operators! So if the police are asking these questions why don't they also advocate for a regulated market? They've proven over the last 80 years that they have little or no control over the black market or the crime that invariably comes with it.One statement that is familiar is the one relating to children. "The alarming thing is that a lot of the children being apprehended (from grow operations) have severe allergies. It's a real health concern." In an illegal market, police never know who is selling to whom! Kids are never asked for an ID! Dealers are unregulated and therefore are free to take aim at anyone with money - no matter what their age.The police talking about the harms to children amounts to nothing more than an emotional, disingenuous and sensationalistic appeal to maintaining the status-quo, and for what? Hasn't prohibition done enough damage already? Prohibition created the black market which is the source of the harms!If they're so concerned about children why aren't they asking the question: What has prohibition done for our children? The answer to that question is the one they can't face up to! It's time for a legal regulated market in Cannabis throughout the world! It is the only way to take the potent commercial market for it out of the hands of criminals.____________________________________________________________ They also have a poll topic:Are you in favour of licenced marijuana grow operations for medicinal purposes? Yes 18 94.74 % No 1 5.26 % TOTAL 19 100.00 % [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by The GCW on October 06, 2002 at 05:47:09 PT What the world needs now, aint love... police (big bad wolf) hope that the people running the licensed Marijuana Factory 3 little pigs) will allow them a visit. "We'd like to have a look at it, (says the big bad wolf). Sometimes through the portals of Truth comes the revelation, things are opposite what You’d think. Then: We have, “the drug squad.” Now I understand what many convey, that cannabis is a drug, even cannabis activist. For Me, cannabis is first and foremost plant. Not drug, PLANT. Then, if You want to move toward, that direction of “drug”, then one next step to accept or not, would be Medicine. Medicine, works. Medicine is Biblical. Medicine conjurs up images of food... Drug, brings to mind the differences between drug and medicine. One has a biased back of the mind conotation. Man made, drug, is not even real. Drug is a word used to bully, those whom use a plant. For or not for medicine. For or not for medicine, with out even knowing it. Medicine, yet beyond. Medicine We know nothing about, yet. Unless, We bring coffee, tea, and so many other substances, down to the simple, “drug”, having unconscious closeur, with nothing more to offer, and even simply put it in the drug catagory, and whip it, making all others see it as, ill, how do We accept the narrow confines of what the word drug, induces. Drug, needs prescription. Medicine does not. Cannabis = plant = medicine, which does not require prescription. Which also does not require the services of the DEA, THE FDA, or any other spirit of error.Oh, and “He said the conditions and rules of the licences will be important - will they fit into local zoning bylaws, will they be safe - as will having someone to oversee and enforce the conditions.” (How much safer can You be, with riot geared SWATSTIKA???) What the world needs now, aint love... they need armed firemen.Substance bylaw, substance bylaw, OH YES, but it does not come before during or after, My direct law, believing My / Our Father said all the plants, (not excluding cannabis), is good (did I mention, He said that on the very 1st page of the Bible?). You have been trumped by the Most High. Your by law is simply a means of getting the little piggies to open the door to the big bad wolf. There is used toilet paper, more important than Your bylaws. Go away, and huff and puff Your own stash, leave Ours alone.Now, now, now. If Our Father said He gave Us and the animals the green plants, how did city council pass a bylaw to prohibit the use of property for the trade, business or manufacture of controlled substances. Is it magic, slight of hand, SLIGHT OF FREEDOM? Oh You evil devil, You. (COVER THE BACK DOOR, [the wolf is a cleaver little shrub of a devil])The drug squad, is willing to even kill You for growing this plant cannabis, and if Your kids are found to have severe allergies, it will be worse. That “severe allergies”, designation, is the key, to winning the war on drugs. If it doesn’t actually help win the war, We have new type brainwashing techniques, being studied, that will separate them from ALL Truth, for good."There are a lot of unanswered question here; it goes on and on... We have a lot of concerns for the community - safety of the community is our first concern." (OH, HOW CUTE) [ Post Comment ] Post Comment