BC TOWNS HIGH ON HUGE CANNABIS HARVEST

Dustin Sunflower Cantwell can hardly contain his enthusiasm when he
describes this year's cannabis harvest -- the best to date for B.C.'s most
lucrative cash crop.

"It was just epic," said Mr. Cantwell of Nelson, B.C. "There was no chance
of mould. It was a perfect finish."

It's the same wherever the illegal crop is grown in B.C. Communities such as
Nelson -- famous for their underground agriculture hydroponic prowess --
have been savoring every moment since the harvest came in a month ago, after
countless days of summer sunshine.

Mr. Cantwell, co-owner of Holy smoke Culture Shop, said pot harvested on
mountainous crown land may not be as chemically potent as the genetically
altered cannabis that thrives under light bulbs in thousands of B.C.
basements and warehouses. But it does the job.

And with B.C.'s forest sector suffering from the Asian flu, pot is becoming
the province's most cherished and reliable resource in communities such as
Nelson, which is particularly famous for its alternative air.

British Columbians produce more pot than all other Canadian provinces
combined.

It's estimated to be a $3-billion industry -- second only to the
$8.5-billion tourism sector. One-third is consumed in B.C. -- where nearly
12 per cent of adults smoke pot (up from 6 per cent in 1993, according to
the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse's 1997 report on drug use).

The remaining $2-billion worth is exported, some ending up in the hands of
the 5.32 Canadians (or 23.1 per cent) who admit to smoking a joint at least
once in their lives.

The dividends, Mr. Cantwell said, help keep places like Nelson afloat.

"I don't care if it's illegal. That's how the community thrives," he said.

And with winter quickly approaching, these dollars are vital. "When these
cannabis dollars come in, it's the last injection of money before the
winter. This is like UI for the Kootenays."

Since B.C. also produces the best pot in Canada and rivals Amsterdam for the
world's top pot prize, it also lures cash into the province.

"Oh man, it's good. I was there this summer. That's why i went," said a
22-year-old from St. John's.

The woman, who asked not to be identified, backpacked around the province
for three months. "B.C. pot is one of the best industries on the go in the
country and I want to support it," said the daily smoker.

Some British Columbians who live on Vancouver Island and the secluded Gulf
Islands, who find themselves surrounded by cannabis plants, agree.

Eighty per cent of the residents of Lasqueti Island, for example, are
involved in the cannabis scene, said Constable Rodney Gray of the Parksville
RCMP detachment.

"This problem is really getting out of control over here. It's just wild,"
said the coordinator of the summer harvest project on the island. "An island
economy is relying on criminal activity."

But this lucrative underground economy isn't limited to Lasqueti.

"It's a growth industry in B.C.," acknowledged Corporal Don Smawley, RCMP
detachment commander for the Outer Gulf Islands.

"It's getting more and more sophisticated, and there's more and more money
to be made."

That's because there are few places in B.C. where cannabis-laced cash is
hard to make.

"It's pretty ideal everywhere," said Ted Smith, president of the
Victoria-based Hempology 101 Society and volunteer for the Vancouver Island
Cannabis Buyers' Club.

Coupled with ever-improving indoor horticultural techniques and genetic
manipulation of seeds, B.C. growers are surviving tough economic times, said
Mr. smith, 29.

"It's keeping a lot of people happy and fed. I'm dead serious.... Without
it, a lot of middle- and lower-class people would be squeezed down even
more."

The RCMP reject the assertion that small-time growers produce the bulk of
B.C. pot They estimate that 70 per cent of commercial marijuana growing
operations are controlled by organized crime.

In the end, officers said, pot smoking imposes an unnecessary tax on the
system.

"Sure, it's money going back into the island," said Cpl. Smawley, but the
long-term costs are greater. "The health-care system is already taxed
enough."

The tar in marijuana, for example is 50 to 100 per cent greater than that of
tobacco.

RCMP data also state that 18.4 per cent of students who use marijuana go on
to use cocaine. Fewer than 1 per cent of non-smokers ever use cocaine.

Meanwhile, the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse's May, 1998, report titled
Cannabis Control in Canada: Options regarding Possession estimates that
governments in Canada spend $400-million a year trying to enforce drug
laws -- rules that pot smokers are willing to break just to get a taste of
B.C.'s home-grown specialty.

Checked-by: Rolf Ernst