SMALL VICTORY, BIGGER WAR

Trinity Conception RCMP seize large quantity of marijuana in Heart's
Delight-Islington

Thanks to some good police work there's less marijuana being sold on
the Trinity Shore these days and two accused dealers are facing drug charges.

Last Wednesday, May 12, members of the Trinity Conception District
RCMP seized a large quantity of marijuana in Heart's Delight-Islington.

"We're talking several bags and several pounds of marijuana," says
Corporal Dale Foote of the Trinity Conception RCMP. "The street value
of that could range anywhere from $5,000 to $10,000."

The accused, two young adult males from the Trinity South community,
were arrested and then released. Both have to appear in court at a later date.

"They'll be facing charges under the Controlled Drugs and Substances
act," explains Foote.

Foote, one of two general investigators with the district, said the
arrest was the result of a weeklong investigation.

"We were alerted that a large quantity of marijuana was coming into
the community and our investigation started from there."

Officers used surveillance as well as the assistance of RCMP from the
St. John's Drug section to locate the drugs.

The RCMP often relies on tips from the public to help them crackdown
on the drug problem.

"Quite often we receive intelligence about drug use in an area and it
helps with our investigation," says Foote. "It's always better for
the community when we (police) are able to intercept and have the
drugs in our possession as opposed to it being out on our street.
It's no surprise to anyone that this stuff (drugs) is getting into
our schools and communities and into the hands of our children. We
(RCMP) are doing what we can to prevent that from happening."

While many people believe the amount of marijuana use in the Trinity
Conception area has decreased over the past few years and is nothing
more than a recreation drug, Cpl. Foote strongly disagrees.

"Not everyone that uses marijuana becomes drug dependent, but the
reality is that as with alcohol and other drugs marijuana use can
lead to profound, chronic and progressive chemical dependency," he
says. "While many people don't see it as being a gateway drug, it is,
because for some it can lead to harder drugs."

Foote, who also has a background in social work, believes marijuana
is the first drug of choice.

"Not everyone who uses marijuana will go on to use hard drugs and
become an addict, but this I do know... none of the addicts I've met
ever said they started out using crack, heroine or cocaine. They all
said they were first introduced into the world of drugs by using
marijuana, it was their first drug of choice."

Meanwhile although the RCMP feels the use of hard drugs in the
Conception Bay North area is on the rise, they count last week's
marijuana seizure as a small victory.

"This is a large area and we are constantly following tips and
conducting drug and crime investigations," says Foote. "This latest
seizure is a small win, but we're hoping it is going to lead us to
winning the bigger war."