FLIN FLON WEED NOT YOUR FATHER'S POT: RCMP

The marijuana plaguing the streets of Flin Flon isn't your father's pot.

Today's weed can be seven times more potent and so sought-after that
some pushers trade it for equal amounts of cocaine.

"In the '60s, marijuana was soft," said RCMP Cst. Bryan Bowskill.
"But today's marijuana is a new strain. It's basically becoming a
pandemic throughout the world, and not only in Canada; everyone's
seeing it. When you have people willing to trade up pound-for-pound
of coke for pot, you know something's happening here that's very drastic."

While the pot of decades ago contained two per cent THC -- the
substance that produces the high -- the variety being seized from
local dealers and users ranges from 10 to 15 per cent.

That's the same quality as British Columbia's famously strong weed.
In fact, police believe much of this area's marijuana arrives from
Canada's westernmost province. That means the same pound of marijuana
sold in Flin Flon for up to $2,000 can fetch double or quadruple that
amount in parts of the U.S.

"The potency of marijuana grown in Western Canada is to the point
where it's setting the trend," noted Cst. Bowskill.

"People that are growing this aren't idiots. They've been doing it
for a while and they know what it takes to get a good THC level."

Cst. Bowskill said police come across marijuana every week, be it a
small-time user with a baggy in his car or a major bust, such as one
last fall in which police seized about $10,000 worth of the drug at
Schist Lake.

The three-year police officer said he's seen firsthand the power pot
can have, with heavy users smoking up to seven grams -- worth as much
as $70 -- each day.

"Mentally you become addicted, you need that high to function, which
is similar to an alcoholic who needs that drink to get through the
day," he said. "A heavy marijuana smoker will need to smoke those
joints to get through a day."

And that addiction leads to problems far more serious than a major
case of the munchies.

'Lead to Crime'

"I have the theory that drugs lead to crime -- drugs are basically
the base of everything," said Cst. Bowskill. "The sale of drugs leads
to break and enters and thefts because people are trying to obtain
property to sell to gain money to buy more drugs. And it leads to
assaults, it leads to murders, it leads to car accidents (from
driving under the influence)."

Though it isn't true in all cases, the officer points the finger at
marijuana in explaining peoples' escalation toward harder drugs.

"I would say it is definitely a gateway drug," he said. "The high
that is obtained from smoking this high quality marijuana, if that
becomes necessary for day-to-day activity, you'll obviously look to
harder drugs to further that high.

"We do see a trend that marijuana users will turn to other chemicals,
whether that be crack, cocaine, powder cocaine, ecstasy."

If that wasn't enough, Cst. Bowskill believes the source of some of
the local weed is more insidious than commonly thought.

"There's no doubt in my mind that (some) marijuana that's coming here
is from organized crime groups, or (originated with them) at one
time," he said. "Someone's growing it, and it's usually not just Joe
Schmuck that's just decided one day he's going to be a marijuana grower."

While there may be residents with several pot plants, Cst. Bowskill
doesn't believe there are substantial grow operations in the area.

"Nothing to the point where they're manufacturing mass quantities of
marijuana," he said.