IT'S ALL AROUND US

"As plain as the nose on your face."

"Hidden in plain view." "Can't see for looking." All those sayings
might be applicable, in one context or another, to the gigantic
marijuana grow-op bust the OPP made at a farm just outside of Pembroke
last Thursday. Police have now confirmed this was no run-of-the-mill
bust, with about 40,000 plants collected worth a street value of $40
million, making it the largest grow-op bust in Canada.

The point of all those quaint old axioms at the start is to reinforce
the fact that this kind of drug activity is all around us, and most of
the time we don't even realize it is going on. The culprits in this
case had their weed neatly tucked in between tall stalks of corn to
camouflage the distinctive foliage. It was a major operation, going on
right under the noses of the neighbours.

If you feel, as we do, that drugs are a scourge on society, then we
are all responsible to report any suspicious activity to the proper
authorities. It is only through vigilance that we can be set free.