GET TOUGH WITH POT GROWERS

Editor:

We were unbelievably sickened by the article in the Friday, March 7 issue
of The Times about the marijuana grow operations in our beautiful area of
Hillcrest, Murrayville.

For over 20 years we've both worked very hard to be able to own our
beautiful home in Hillcrest -- only to see our home slowly devalued because
of these criminal neighbours getting away with this activity.

It's incredible the court system is only slapping their wrists with an
average of $2,900 fines and very little jail time, when the perpetrators
are reaping millions of dollars of profit from this degrading substance
that ruins young peoples' lives, not to mention the untold suffering of
those unsuspecting home buyers that will get sick from the mould and mildew
spores when these homes are re-sold.

Instead of our beautiful area of B.C. advertising "Come visit beautiful
B.C.", we'll soon be known as the marijuana capital of the world attracting
thousands more pot growers to this area.

Please everyone, report these suspicious neighbours. They are easy to spot!
Let's drive them out of our peaceful neighbourhoods so our kids can have a
safe and decent place to live.

Name withheld, a Hillcrest resident

Editor's note - The Times has received several letters from marijuana
legalization advocates living in places as near and far as Winnipeg,
Pembroke, Ontario and Vancouver, decrying us for publishing letters from
Hillcrest residents but withholding their names. We make no apologies for
doing so. We know the names of the writers, and believe they have
legitimate fears for their safety, given the actions of their neighbours.