POT INDUSTRY GROWS OUT IN OPEN

A recent study from the University College of the Fraser Valley says the
marijuana business in B.C. is growing. The report stated that the number
of marijuana growing operations coming to the attention of police is
increasing by about 36 percent per year. In the Lower Mainland, that is
faster than police can keep up with.

Here in the Boundary, marijuana is grown differently. Large scale indoor
grow operations are rarer. Consumers of the sacred herb know that Grand
Forks's famous sunshine means ideal conditions for growing pot outdoors.

"There are a lot more people growing than you might think," says Brian
McAndrew, media consultant at the Cannabis Research Institute in Grand
Forks. "There are probably a thousand homes in the area growing marijuana
on one scale or another."

McAndrew says the majority of growers probably only grow enough for
themselves and maybe a couple of friends. "Most people I know would rather
grow it than buy it."

From a law enforcement perspective it is tough to pin down the scope of
the industry. RCMP staff Sgt. Darryl Little says that because most
marijuana is grown in the bush it is harder to find and get a firm grip on
the numbers. "I think there are probably 75 to 100 people growing in the
Boundary including ma and pa operations. There may be lots of small 5 to
10 plants operations but not a lot of commercial operations."

Even retailers of hydroponic growing equipment have a hard time estimating
the extent of the industry in the area. Jim Gibb, owner of Boundary
Waterworks, says that because growing pot is illegal most growers will shop
at the big box retailers for their hydroponic fertilizers and equipment.

"Most growers don't deal with people in their own community," he says.
"They don't want to draw attention to themselves by walking out of here
with an armful of hydroponic equipment."

The regional district has tried to get a handle on the economic strength of
the marijuana growing industry in the Boundary area. Economic Development
Commission director Martin Kruysse says their study found that most pot is
grown outdoors making it more difficult to track. "We couldn't find
significant evidence of grow-ops," he said. "The best information comes
from talking to fertilizer sales and hardware stores. We estimated the size
of the industry in Boundary to be about $6 million per year."