MELLOW APPROACH TO GROW-OPS WRONG

There's no time for dawdling when it comes to stamping out Surrey's many
marijuana growing operations.

It's heartening that federal Solicitor General Wayne Easter visited the
city this week to explore the extent of the problem himself, and that he
said he'll take police concerns to government caucus.

But let's hope more good news - actual action on the part of the feds -
won't be buried in endless committees studying the problem, and dickering
over the Criminal Code.

The police, local MPs and other politicians, and of course Surrey residents
themselves, have long known about the proliferation of marijuana growing
operations here, albeit perhaps not to the extent that as many as 4,500
such operations are among us.

For some people, pot brings to mind stoner fun like Cheech and Chong, but
the grow-ops themselves are nothing to laugh about.

Growers posing as bogus tenants ruin landlords; and the actual operations
are fire risks.

There's nothing mellow or funny about the culture of violent crime
revolving around these illicit agricultural endeavours, either. This week,
B.C.'s Solicitor General revealed that more than 60 homicides presently
being investigated in B.C. are tied to grow-ops.

It speaks volumes that Washington state, which has stiffer laws than B.C.
when it comes to pot, has fewer grow ops than B.C.

Canada's feds must change the Criminal Code to provide harsh penalties for
convicted pot growers. Only the federal government can do that, and the
ball is entirely in its court.

Historically, the federal Liberals cannot be accused of making hasty
changes to the Code. But let's hope they move on this, and soon, as
organized crime's roots reach deep into our community.