CROP'S UP IN SMOKE

Pot Lab Extinguished - But It's Just Part Of A $1B-A-Year Industry

Toronto firefighters found a burning marijuana lab in a North York house
early yesterday.

The fire at the Maple Leaf Dr. home, in the Keele St.-Lawrence Ave. area,
was spotted around 2:45 a.m. and was quickly doused by firefighters.

The operation, police said, appeared to be between 50 and 100 plants, each
with an approximate street value of $1,000.

Toronto West Drug Unit seized the pot and equipment found in the home. The
electrical hookup had bypassed the fuse box, police said. No one has been
charged.

The modest seizure is a reflection of a growing illicit business of which
Canada is a major supplier of dope to the U.S., the world's largest market.

Public Safety and Security Minister Bob Runciman told Sun Media that Canada
is third behind Mexico and Colombia as a supplier of high-grade marijuana
to the United States.

He intends to bring up the issue with the federal government in a bid to
have minimum sentences established for marijuana greenhouse operators.

Police estimate the indoor operations grow about $1 billion worth a year.
Operation Potluck, a police project which ended earlier this year in Peel
Region, discovered a brokerage-style system was available for growers where
middlemen found buyers.

Police estimate a small crop of 50 plants will reap about $55,000 in
profit. Sentences can be between 60 and 90 days, but usually result in a
conditional sentence.

A multi-million-dollar operation usually results in an 18-month jail term.

This is compared to stiff U.S. jail time, where drug crimes can result in a
life term.