MARIJUANA TRADE IS WORTH BILLIONS, COPS SAY

Decriminalizing pot will do nothing to reduce B.C.'s massive illegal
pot-growing industry, say police.

Insp. Michael Ryan of the Organized Crime Agency of B.C. said yesterday
that the profits from growing and selling marijuana are simply too immense.

A pound of good B.C. grass can sell in California for as much as $6,000.

Police point out that abolishing the prosecution of persons found with
small amounts of hash or pot won't do anything to check production aimed at
the U.S. market and valued at between $2 billion and $3 billion a year.

Ryan said the agency has seized $2.5 million in cash in its first year of
operation and "a significant share that came from marijuana." One
confiscation of the proceeds of crime netted $250,000.

Insp. Brad Parker said there are between 6,000 and 8,000 grow-ops in the
Lower Mainland mostly run by organized crime groups.

A typical grow-op will stagger harvesting to produce 5 1/2 to seven
kilograms of market-ready dope every six weeks. Half a kilo of low-end
marijuana sells for $1,400 while high-grade grass can fetch $2,500.

The price doubles if you can get it to New York.

Vancouver police face a backlog of 600 grow-ops they have yet to
investigate. As homes are raided, they learn of other operations.