A CHEAPER REMEDY FOR POT GROW-OPS

It's round two for the federal Conservatives' goal of getting tough on
pot growers.

After having the Senate gut an earlier attempt at setting minimum
sentences for growing marijuana, the Harper government will now try to
push through Bill S-10, which features a mandatory six-month jail term
for growing six pot plants.

The Liberals, meanwhile, vow to block the bill, which critics say is
heading in the opposite direction Canada has taken on the issue of
marijuana over the past several years.

There's truth in that, particularly when viewed from the perspective
of the Crown and courts, which have respectively been reluctant to
aggressively pursue charges against growers, or upon conviction, hand
down stiff sentences.

There is also an element of public opposition to bringing down a
larger hammer on marijuana cultivation, particularly on small amounts.

Critics point across the border, where tougher marijuana sentences
have filled jails, but done little to stem the green wave, or the
demand for the product.

Considerable doubt surrounds the premise that a minimum sentence for
growing pot will dissuade the gangs which make billions from the
industry in Canada.

When there is that much profit to be gained - and tougher laws may
actually increase the value of the drug - there will be a willingness
to take the risks to reap the massive rewards.

Far more effective in reducing the number of grow-ops in this and
other cities is the initiative based on safety inspections of
suspected homes.

Using that tactic, along with law enforcement efforts, cities such as
Surrey and Abbotsford have seen a dramatic drop in the number of grows
over the past several years.

Purely from a public cost perspective, it's a far cheaper remedy than
building and filling more prisons.