BURN POT HOLDERS WITH POLICE COSTS

Richmond is looking at billing homeowners for police costs if marijuana
grow operations are busted on their properties.

Like many Lower Mainland cities, Richmond is rife with grow-op problems and
it's about time the city came up with a way to combat rising police costs.

Sending homeowners the bill would put the onus property owners to make sure
their tenants haven't turned the rec room into a pot-filled wrecked room.

As well, many grow-ops are actually owned by the homeowner, as the market
for B.C. bud is hotter than the Lower Mainland real estate market.

Libertarian pot-lovers frequently deride such bylaws as the one Richmond is
working on. While we agree it's a hipocracy to allow booze 'n' smokes and
consider marijuana contraband, grow-ops are not run by latter-day Cheeches
and Chongs. Organized crime is well-entrenched in this lucrative business.

As well, crime begets crime as roving armed bandits tour neighbourhoods in
search of the tell-tale signs of grow-ops. When grow-rippers meet
grow-operators, things often turn violent.

So if you are renting out a grow-op, make sure you are getting a piece of
the pie-you'll need it when the police bill arrives.