WEED GROWER GETS OUT OF JAIL, GOES DIRECTLY TO BOARD GAMES

Marijuana Grow-Op Simulation Launched With The Help Of Another
Reformed Criminal

Two reformed criminals have teamed up to create a Monopoly-style board
game where players fight the authorities, and each other, in an
attempt to build a thriving business in marijuana-growing operations.

The idea, Vancouver-based game creators say, is the brainchild of a
22-year-old who was busted after a brief career as a real-life
marijuana grower.

Company officials will only identify the 22-year-old as "The Rabbit"
because of his request for anonymity, but say he came up with the idea
while in jail, and that he worked to make it a reality once he emerged.

Among the people helping to bring the game to market is Kevan Garner,
a former Vancouver stock promoter who pleaded guilty in a Florida
court to two counts of laundering $1 million. Undercover police
officers operating the sting had told Garner the money he was
laundering was the proceeds of cocaine trafficking.

From his Vancouver office Friday, Garner said he became involved in
the Grow Op Game when an acquaintance, Ivan Solomon, approached him
with the idea.

Solomon, who has put together successful board games in the past, had
been approached by t "Rabbit" with the idea, and thought it was
"pretty hot," especially since the 22-year-old wanted to use it to go
clean.

The Rabbit is not a partner in the company, but will receive royalties
from sales of the game, Solomon said.

Solomon added the game is not intended to glorify or trivialize
growing operations, but rather to demonstrate how difficult they are
to establish, and how easy it is to run into problems.

He pointed out that in the game, most of the players usually end up
getting busted. "It really is meant to let people know that the road
to criminal activity is not that easy," Garner added.

In the game, players must rent houses, garages or other places, which
range in price according to size and neighbourhood, where they can
grow crops.

Before they can make any money, however, players need to buy clones to
work the crops, and equipment to maintain them, while evading the
"grow busters."

Solomon said the game, which sells for $39.95, has mostly been selling
from its Web site, www.growopgame.com.