TIME FEDS GOT OFF THE POT

Once we all stop chuckling over the huge marijuana bust at the old Molson
Brewery in Barrie - a landmark to anyone who drives on Hwy. 400 - some
serious questions need to be asked. After all, this wasn't a few pot heads
growing marijuana in their basement.

This was the discovery of Canada's largest marijuana grow operation - so far
- - a sophisticated, multi-million-dollar indoor farm producing a crop worth
over $100 million a year.

Millions of dollars went into setting up the facility for 30,000 pot plants,
many growing in the old Molson beer vats and being fed a special mixture of
chemicals to increase their potency.

There were accommodations inside the plant for up to 50 workers and 24-hour
security.

But that's only the tip of the iceberg.

As both Barrie Police Chief Wayne Frechette and Toronto's own Julian Fantino
noted, Canada's lax enforcement of its marijuana laws has resulted in the
problem of illegal grow operations reaching epidemic proportions.

"While Colombia is the top country for cocaine production, Canada is now the
No. 1 country for marijuana production," said OPP Supt. Bill Crate. "There
is active trade in organized crime between the two drugs. While one moves
north, the other moves south. And it doesn't stop at drugs - where there is
organized crime there is always violence and weapons."

Is this what we want Canada to be famous for?

That's the real problem - criminals know that even if busted they're
unlikely to do any hard time and the profits are enormous. Pot seizures by
U.S. Customs heading south from Canada were up almost 800% between 2001 and
2002 - an indication illegal grow-ops are booming.

Photos released by police of the huge Barrie operation reminded us of the
Prohibition era, when organized crime was heavily involved in the
distribution of illegal booze.

The federal Liberal government needs to stop dancing around this issue now.

The half step it has proposed - decriminalization for small amounts of
marijuana - will only make things worse. On the one hand, it doesn't address
the big-time criminal activity involved in illegally growing marijuana. On
the other, it makes it easier for criminals to set up shop, given our lax
attitude toward prosecutions.

Our choice would be to toughen and enforce our marijuana laws to match those
of our U.S. neighbour. The only other realistic option is full legalization,
which would at least get the government involved in regulating the product.

Ottawa needs to get off the pot and decide.