GROW-OP ATTACK STRATEGY SOUGHT

OTTAWA -- United in the belief Canada must declare war on marijuana
grow-ops, MPs are going to battle over how to combat the deadly
menace. The strategy to stamp out the commercial grow houses -- often
booby-trapped and linked to organized crime -- will take centre stage
next month as the Commons justice committee pores over the plan to
decriminalize pot.

Under the Liberal government's proposal, maximum prison sentences for
large-scale cultivators would double to 14 years from the current seven.

Tory MP Mark Warawa called the boost a "naive" attempt at tackling a
problem escalating at an alarming rate.

"Canada is one of the most lenient nations when it comes to en-forcing
our drug laws," he said.

"For producing marijuana, the fines are an average of $1,500 which is
considered just a small cost of doing business.

"For a small investment, organized crime can make millions of
dollars."

Because of Canada's "soft" approach, pot is flowing across the border
to the U.S. where it's traded for cash, cocaine and illegal firearms,
he said.

Hiking maximum sentences is meaningless since courts don't im-pose
anything close to the maximum, Warawa said.

"Only a fraction of those convicted actually do jail time, and even
then it's only minor jail time," he said.

In the Commons, Tory MP Belinda Stronach pointed to a New York Times
report on how Canada's burgeoning grow-op and trafficking industry is
causing huge security concerns for the U.S. and urged Ottawa to
withdraw its "misguided" pot bill.

"The prime minister and this government are ignoring warnings from the
U.S. ambassador that there will be consequences resulting from
decriminalization causing costly cross-border delays," she said.