POT OPERATIONS NOW JUST A PART OF LIFE

When the North Fraser Fire Department was called to a fire near Miracle
Valley Wednesday afternoon, the only thing that appeared out of the ordinary
was the out-of-the-way location.

But what the firefighters found was an out-of-the-way marijuana growing
operation that was freestanding and without any residence nearby - something
that is unique in terms of public knowledge of the industry.

Thursday in Delta police discovered that community's largest-ever marijuana
growing operation - a farm containing 2,500 plants with an estimated value
of more than $3 million.

In fact a report studying B.C.'s underground marijuana growing industry,
released last May, states in its opening paragraph, "It is no longer
breaking news that marijuana growing operations, or grow ops, have become a
major concern in British Columbia in the press, among the public and, of
course, among those involved in law enforcement and the administration of
justice."

It also states that, according to Statistics Canada, B.C. accounts for 40
per cent of all the marijuana cultivation cases in the country.

"Everyone's doing it," said Tim Felger, who is notorious in Abbotsford for
his relentless pro-marijuana stance.

"It's easy to start up a grow op but to put out quality product isn't easy."

He has been arrested twice for growing marijuana with charges from the first
case being stayed and the second case currently before the courts.

According to police reports earlier this year, there were "thousands" of
plants in a growing operation they discovered on Felger's property.

And while his 464 votes hardly put fear into last weekend's mayoralty front
runners, Felger still finished fourth [out of seven candidates] after
running on a platform of redirecting police resources away from enforcing
drug laws.

He ran, he said, to get his message out about the futility of fighting a
drug war that is overwhelming.

"No one's really listening to the arguments," he said Wednesday. "It's the
most expensive failed social experience I've ever seen."

But the authors of the marijuana cultivation study - including University
College of the Fraser Valley criminology professors Darryl Plecas, Yvon
Dandurand and others - see some aspects of the argument.

Their report was based on the marijuana cultivation operations that were
caught by police agencies - the tip of the iceberg - in the last four years.

Their report, Marijuana Growing Operations in British Columbia: An Empirical
Study [1997-2000], revealed that the Fraser Valley has the second-highest
rate per capita of "grow ops" in the province behind the Comox area of
Vancouver Island.

Mission and Chilliwack were among the top producing municipalities - on a
per-capita basis - while Abbotsford was sixth.

The Unites States' Drug Enforcement Agency now sees Canada as the prominent
source, versus Mexico, for pot imports.

"The primary growing area for cannabis in Canada is British Columbia,
although production has spread since the mid-1990s to the eastern
provinces," says one DEA report. "High-grade marijuana produced in British
Columbia commonly is referred to as 'B.C. Bud.' "

Felger figures the problems associated with the local drug trade will only
get worse.

"I don't think we have a big crime problem but I think it's going to grow,"
he said.

Plecas, Felger, local police and the DEA all agree on one thing - organized
crime is heavily involved in the black market industry.