CANADIAN POT A POPULAR IMPORT

Authorities Worry That A Potent New Marijuana Has Increased Drug Trade On
The U.S.-Canada Border

TORONTO -- Canadian-grown, high-potency marijuana has become so popular
among Americans that it is quickly turning into an unofficial currency in
the narcotics underworld, according to law enforcement officials on both
sides of the border.

British Columbia marijuana has gained a reputation as the most potent in
the world, said Steve Casteel, special-agent-in-charge for the U.S. Drug
Enforcement Administration in Seattle. The top-shelf Canadian marijuana,
known as B.C. Bud, has been rising in popularity on the U.S. west coast and
is now the No. 1 sought-after marijuana, Casteel said.

The successful marketing of Canadian weed in the U.S. West, said Steve
Hartkop, assistant agent-in-charge for U.S. Customs in Buffalo, has
prompted Quebec-based motorcycle gangs to market their own Quebec Gold
brand along the U.S. Northeast. "We haven't seized any, but we have
information out of Canada that its supposed to be very good quality
stuff,'' said Tom Virgilio, an agent with U.S. Customs in Albany.

The information U.S. Customs has from Canadian law enforcement officials is
that Quebec Gold has been coming into areas like New York state, but so far
the only seizures have been of user quantities, not commercial amounts,
Hartkop added.

Despite this, a recent report from the Washington, D.C.-based National Drug
Intelligence Center warned that marijuana exports from Canada to the U.S.
is becoming a significant problem.

A source with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Drug Analysis Section said
the popularity of the Canadian weed, and the growing spread between U.S.
and Canadian currency has been drawing more people into the market. The
result is more and larger growing operations - both indoor hydroponic and
outdoor stands.

The Canadian marijuana is even being used as currency by criminal gangs who
trade it for cocaine and other items as if it were cash, the RCMP source said.

One pound of B.C. Bud now commands between $3-$5,000, or up to $7,500
Canadian, Casteel noted.

While B.C. pot has already established a reputation along America's west
coast, police in Quebec have uncovered marijuana sweat shops where
(immigrant) laborers are brought in to package marijuana and hashish for
the U.S. market, the RCMP source said.

Though Canada is not a prime source for U.S.-bound grass -- that
distinction still belongs to Mexico and other Central and South American
countries -- it is nonetheless a flourishing business, the source explained.

One indication of the size of the trade: According to the RCMP, more than
100,000 tons of marijuana were seized in Canada in 1997.

Because of the seamless northern border, and the fact U.S. law enforcement
agencies direct most of their efforts and resources at the southern border,
we never know how much marijuana is crossing into the U.S., said Detective
Court Booth with the Central Drug Information Unit of the Toronto Police.

While Canada is often a trans-shipment point for other drugs coming in from
third countries, but destined for the States, marijuana is the most common
native-grown drug, particularly because of the improvements in hydroponics
technology.

Checked-by: Richard Lake