EIGHT CHARGED IN POT BUST GRANTED BAIL

BARRIE -- Eight of the nine men charged in Canada's largest indoor pot
bust have been granted bail. They were arrested during a raid Friday
night at a former Molson's brewery where police found a sophisticated
marijuana growing operation that authorities estimate generated $100
million a year.

All but one of the men was allowed to go free on $10,000 cash bail --
providing the families could scrounge up the money.

Five of the families couldn't come up with the money yesterday, but
promised they would have the cash by today.

"What am I supposed to do -- rob a bank?" said one distraught wife
outside court.

Federal Crown attorney John Madden told court a provincial police
officer had asked for the bail hearings to be adjourned pending
further investigation, but the defence lawyers hotly objected to it.

"I don't know who this OPP officer is, but he is not a lawyer and he
clearly does not know the law," said lawyer Randall Barrs, arguing his
clients have been in jail since Friday and there was already a legal
agreement on bail conditions.

"It is clearly against the law to have this case adjourned again,"
agreed lawyer Bernard Cugleman.

All are charged with production and possession of a controlled
substance.

The pot-growing factory in this city north of Toronto went undetected
for a year or more, despite being the country's largest, police said.

Even those who had visited the building where 30,000 marijuana plants
were sprouting said they didn't know it was there.

"I've been in the place several times and I didn't know what the hell
was going on," a local businessperson said yesterday.