RCMP, MILITARY SMOKE OUT ISLAND'S OUTDOOR GROW-OPS

COMOX -- The RCMP say they've seized enough pot from outdoor marijuana grow
ops in recent days to make more than 11 million joints.

The Mounties and the military have teamed up for their annual aerial search
for grow ops on Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands.

Police said they found more than 18,000 marijuana plants that would have
been harvested in a few weeks.

The RCMP said that amount of pot could supply every person in a city of
75,000 with five joints every day for a month.

But the seizures only scratch the surface of the problem, police said.

Three people have been arrested so far in this year's operation.

Outdoor grow operations on Crown land also have a huge impact on the
environment, RCMP said.

"The diversion of water sources, such as creeks, streams and rivers to
irrigate many of these grow operations are commonplace," police said in a
news release.

Pot farmers also use environmentally damaging chemicals and fertilizers, and
often leave their illicit fields strewn with garbage once they've harvested
their crop, the police said.