COUNCIL CONSIDERS POT PUNISHMENT

Property owners will have to inspect their rental properties regularly for
grow-ops, and report any infractions within 24 hours if a Chilliwack bylaw
makes its way to Maple Ridge.

The anti-grow-op bylaw was discussed as a template for other cities at a
Lower Mainland Municipal Association meeting last Friday and came up at
council's workshop on Monday.

Coun. Craig Speirs has his doubts.

"I came away from that meeting with the feeling that all they're doing is
chipping away at the edges," Speirs said. "They're not taking care of the
problem. This is just a symptom of the problem."

The bylaw, still under consideration by Chilliwack, prohibits bypassing
electrical services to power the grow ops as well as using fertilizers and
pesticides inside a home.

Its penalties include fines of up to $10,000 and even cutting off of water
service if a home is being used for drug production.

Mayor Kathy Morse said it's still early in the process of considering a
grow-op bylaw and said police would be consulted.

Speirs says the real estate industry should be required to disclose if a
house was used to produce drugs and cited a Chilliwack RCMP report that
noted that dangerous contaminants from amphetamine production can get
absorbed into the floors and walls of a home.

Speirs also wants marijuana legalized and regulated - just as alcohol is
regulated so the tax revenues can be to address other drug issues. "Doing
the same old things we're doing just supports illegal activity."

Landlords were losing all their equity in their home by having to do
repairs following the discovery of a grow op, he said.

"This is a horrible price they're paying for the feds' inability to deal
with the problem.

"Just treat it [marijuna] exactly like liquor and let's move on."