GROW-OPS A THREAT TO SAFETY

Mclellan: People Who Smoke Pot 'Stupid,' Public Safety Minister Says

OTTAWA -- Public Safety Minister Anne McLellan said Tuesday the government
is committed to eradicating marijuana grow operations, and that people who
smoke pot are "stupid."

"I see grow-ops as one of the single biggest problems we face in our
communities -- they do represent a serious threat to public safety,"
McLellan told Canada's first conference on the illicit operations.

She suggested delegates at the RCMP-hosted event embrace further
integration of law-enforcement agencies to better combat large-scale
cultivators.

McLellan later denied the Liberal government's move toward decriminalizing
marijuana was counter-productive to the objectives of the conference.

"The message, whether it's from me, whether it's from the minister of
justice, the minister of health, is that marijuana continues to be illegal
in this country, and you're pretty stupid, in most cases, if you smoke it,"
McLellan said.

She further stated "the jury's still out," when it comes to the drug's
medicinal effects.

The minister pointed out to delegates Ottawa re-introduced its cannabis
reform legislation Monday, which would double the maximum sentence for
large-scale cultivation to 14 years in prison if passed.

Justices would have to submit, in writing, their reasons for not imposing
prison terms for some large-scale cultivators.

She pledged to members of the RCMP, municipal police forces and
private-sector insurance and hydro companies that courts will get the
message about the seriousness of the situation.

RCMP Commissioner Giuliano Zaccardelli explained most grow houses are not
"ma-and-pa" operations, but dangerous organized crime businesses.

"We are not just talking about a simple crime," he said. "We are talking
about . . . these grow operations are related to the murders that take
place in our streets, to the serious harm that happens to the fabric of
this nation."

The RCMP estimates annual Canadian marijuana production to be between 960
and 2,400 metric tons.

Another topic likely to be raised at the conference is last week's Supreme
Court ruling that aerial-infrared surveillance doesn't contravene the
constitutional right to privacy in one's own home.

The court ruled unanimously searches could be conducted without a warrant,
because the heat-detectors' images were "mundane" and "non-intrusive."

Chief Supt. Raf Souccar, the RCMP's director general for drugs and
organized crime said Tuesday the ruling won't result in increased use of
the devices.

Souccar said it's difficult to estimate the number of grow operations in
Canada, but put the number in the Greater Toronto Area at about 10,000.