POWERFUL B.C. MARIJUANA NO SOFT DRUG, UN SAYS

VANCOUVER --The increasing potency of marijuana -- spurred on by
hydroponic growers in places such as B.C. -- means the world should
no longer consider pot a "soft" drug, according to a report released
Monday by the United Nations.

"Today, the harmful characteristics of cannabis are no longer that
different from those of other plant-based drugs such as cocaine and
heroin," Antonio Maria Costa, director of the UN's Office on Drugs
and Crimes, said in a written statement.

The report argues that marijuana is by far the most popular drug in
the world, with about 162 million users every year compared to just
16 million for opiates and 13 million for cocaine.

And the number of marijuana users worldwide has jumped by more than
10 per cent since the late 1990s -- a larger increase than for any
other illicit drug.

The substance in marijuana that produces its effect is
tetrahydrocannabinol, also known as THC.

The UN report argues that the increasing popularity of indoor-grown,
hydroponic marijuana in recent decades has caused the THC level in
marijuana to more than double in many parts of the world.