RCMP RAIDS HELP POT GROWERS

To the Editor:

(Re: "A day in the death of a grow-op", July 15 Advance, page 3)

This is how I imagine a pot grower might respond to this
article:

"Dear police:

"Thanks large for cutting down all those pot plants. Tearing out five
to 10 per cent of the area's pot crop each year secures our continued
funding like no other policy.

"Legalizing pot would cripple us, because everyone who wanted to could
simply grow some in their yards, and that would put us right out of
business. But your ongoing eradication efforts secure future customers
coming to us for this oh-so-easy-to-grow medicinal herb.

"We simply cannot thank you enough, although we suspect you are pretty
happy about your ever-increasing anti-pot budgets. You make money, we
make money, there is lots of pot on the street, everyone is happy.
Except the taxpayers, but who cares what those suckers think, right?

"Also, your propaganda in the news really helps us too. We can charge
anywhere from $2,600-$3,500 per pound for this simple weed, because of
the 'perceived threat'. Our customers ask us why pot is so expensive,
and we tell them that the police are 'cracking down' and we are facing
big risks and so on. They have no choice but to accept it. Thanks
large for that, too.

"So, by all means, please keep tearing out as many plants as you can,
and keep lobbying for longer sentences. Even if you catch twice as
many growers as last year, you still couldn't get more than 20 per
cent of us, and that stimulates our entire industry - and yours! We
will thank you for your efforts by calling in tips against our
competitors."

Russell Barth

Nepean, Ont.

Patients Against Ignorance and Discrimination on Cannabis
(www.paidoc.org)