POT BUSINESS IS BOOMING IN ABBOTSFORD: STUDY

Abbotsford ranks among the highest pot-producing cities in B.C., according
to a study released by the University College of the Fraser Valley Thursday.

Abbotsford had the eighth highest number of marijuana cultivation cases in
2000 and had the sixth-highest cases per capita.

Abbotsford Police Department spokesman Const. Shinder Kirk said he's seen a
dramatic increase in the amount of marijuana being grown in Abbotsford.

"In terms of numbers, we've had a substantial increase in the number of
grow ops that have been dismantled in the 12 years I've been here," Kirk said.

"In terms of the size, some of the grow ops that we've seen recently here
in Abbotsford have been very large - we're talking 1,000-plus plants for
several of them."

Mission didn't even make a blip on the study's radar screen.

The study examined police records for each year from 1997 to 2000 and
extrapolated information for marijuana growing operations found. However,
it is worth noting that many people, including police officers, say it's a
fair statment that the cases found are "just the tip of the iceberg"
compared to those that exist.

In the study Vancouver had the highest number of growing operation cases in
2000 while Nanaimo had the highest per capita.

Also in the top-10 producing cities were Surrey, Langley and Chilliwack,
which had the second-highest number of cases per capita.

According to the study, Fraser Valley towns like Abbotsford are
particularly vulnerable because of their proximity to the border, their low
land costs and their distance from the urban centre.

Kirk agrees. "Here in Abbotsford we have that enviable blend of country and
urban development."

"I'm thinking, in terms of Abbotsford, the increase is due to property
values and the accessibility of affordable housing to conduct their
criminal endeavours," Kirk said.

"You look at the money involved, the relative ease of being able to grow
marijuana and, if one isn't too ambitious, you can remain undetected for
several months or even years."

The study also found that the number of marijuana growing ops coming to the
attention of police is increasing by 36 per cent per year; the average size
of grow ops discovered is increasing by 40 per cent per year; the average
dollar value of each discovered growing operations is between around
$115,000; and over the four-year study period, police in B.C. seized 1.2
million marijuana plants and 8,646 kg of harvested marijuana.

"If our objective so far was to reduce the availability of marijuana in the
province, we are not succeeding, UCFV professor Yvon Dandurand says in a
statement. "In spite of the fact that we are devoting more law enforcement
and other resources each year to address the problem, there is more
marijuana grown and available in British Columbia from year to year."

The study also found that the typical cultivator is a white, 35-year-old
man with seven prior criminal convictions.

The study also said 2,255 cases led to at least one offender being
convicted. This means that 54 per cent of those charged, and 25 per cent of
those associated with a case, ended up with a conviction. Prison sentences
were ordered in only 18 per cent of cases, with an average length of 4.5
months.

"The findings point at the need for the justice system, including law
enforcement, to take a more strategic approach to enforcing the law
concerning marijuana cultivation," comments UCFV professor Darryl Plecas in
a release.

The independent study was released in two reports: Marijuana Growing
Operations in British Columbia - An Empirical Survey (1997-2000) and
Marijuana Trafficking Incidents in British Columbia (1997-2000).

The study was conducted by faculty and students of the UCFV Criminology and
Criminal Justice Department in partnership with the International Centre
for Criminal Law Reform and Criminal Justice Policy, a United Nations
affiliated research institute in Vancouver.