DRUGS A BOOMING B.C. BUSINESS

According to a recent article in MacLeans Magazine, B.C. is the Super
Crime power of the world crime is our biggest industry.

It's the drugs that do it. Marijauna is our number 1 economic
contributor, and like all successful businesses, it's growing. It
isn't restricted to just one part of the province either. Marijuana is
grown all over the place, even in the hinterlands, it's truly a
provincial bonanza. MacLeans says it's a $5 billion to $7 billion a
year business. The hard drugs bring in billions and we also do well
with manufactured drugs such as methamphetamine and ecstasy.

A BC Business magazine report ranks the marijuana industry as the
province's second largest business, but that's still
significant.

There are many calls to legalize the growing and selling of marijuana,
not only from the more liberal folks but some right wingish agencies
(Fraser Institute for one) think the province should be raking in some
of the revenue.

One thing for sure, our current method of dealing with the illegal
drug industry isn't working, except for those in the business.