Marijuana 'grow houses' booming (CANUCK STONER ALERT)

The Ottawa Citizen ^ | Wednesday, November 27, 2002 | Janice Tibbetts

[dread78645]

" ... electricity they need to operate high-voltage lamps .."

Wow. That sounds worse than "automatic assault rifles".

Okay 5 day waiting period before anyone can buy "high-voltage lamps". It's for the children.

[Leisler]

I got one down side for legalization for you. The price drops, large corporate farms start, the little guys can't compete and go out of buisness, and everyone starts hitting up the government for price supports.......Legalization could be a whole new employement scam for legions of government types.

[Sparta]

Good point. The socialists will find a way to milk marijuana legalization for their big government programs.

[A. Pole]

Let me rephrase the statement "It won't provide any money for the WOD politicians."

But the biggest losers would growers themselves. If marijuana were legal - NAFTA and free trade will put them out of business. The stuff will be grown cheaper and better in warm Third World countries.

[MadameAxe]

The only difference is that both modern day Libertarians and Socilaists will look at a pollution power sucking pot farm and say "cool dude", while looking at a factory that produces wealth and products that benefit prople, the socialist will say "evil capitalist pig slave farm", while the Libertarian will say, "Oh come on that ain't so bad, but the pot farm is way cooler."

Hey, you're actually getting closer.
:-b

Would you mind documenting this "pollution" that pot farms allegedly produce though? What kind of "pollution"?

[BlazingArizona]

We can fight drugs and usage from another angle rather than using government power.

There's one way to do that: eliminate all public sources of aid for substance abusers. Let the cost of abuse - including alcohol and tobacco - fall on the abuser, and any private source of charity he may talk into supporting him.

[robertpaulsen]

"They could then legally get their power turned on..."

Why would they do this? I guess because they'd be so happy that pot's legal, they'll agree to pay for something they've been getting for free?

I've seen you make better arguments.

[robertpaulsen]

Master-Kon is one of those Libertarians that are in favor of drug legalization, but are against drug use. ThomasJefferson introduced me to that concept.

Quite frankly I don't understand it, but it seems to make perfect sense to them. I think it's along the lines of, "I don't agree with what you say, but I'll defend...."

[philman_36]

The whole "dangerous grow house" gambit is just the latest in a dying cause.
Exactly how I read it. Another "tired tactic" and now they've got
Growers are increasingly buying homes, and in some cases entire blocks are devoted to the lucrative business.
What are the real estate peole mad about? Sounds like they would welcome the sales.
And insurance rates "could" go up, not "will".
Trial balloon.

And a thought...
Police say there are at least 50,000 houses in Canada that are now used exclusively to grow marijuana...
Is this "guesstimation" or fact? If the police know the number of houses being used why are they still allowed to function? Shouldn't they be closing them down in the "war effort"?
It sounds as if they're saying "We know they're there, but we aren't going to do anything besides bitch about 'em".

[HELLRAISER II]

Why would you put yourself at risk by stealing power when there is nothing to hide. If I were growing (which i'm not) I wouldn't have any reason to hide anything if it was legal, I definately wouldn't want to go to jail for stealing power if marajuana was legal. I just don't think that stealing power is the issue. The reason they steal power is not to save money but to keep from having astronomical power bills thereby giving away their growing operation.

[HELLRAISER II]

Yes your absolutely right, the dealers & politicians do not want it legal and why should they. The buyers keep them both rich & they keep the legal system going by getting caught & filling prison cells. But for the average buyer it would eliminate the high cost & the chance of going to jail.

[robertpaulsen]

You make a logical, sane argument. But the people in question aren't the most honest of citizens to begin with, are they? 'Criminals' is probably a good description.

Just my opinion, but I don't think think they'd come clean. It's still lots of $ for the operation they're running.

[wita]

Illegal drugs and the battle against them has done more to fatten the budgets of police forces in canada and the US, than any single issue since...jaywalking, and loitering. Legalizing marijuana, would not significantly effect the system, other than relieve pressure on our jails, and to state that any move toward legality would suddenly produce a nation of potheads, is patent poo-poo. I would venture to guess, that the list of side effects for marijuana, would pale next to some of the more benign "legal drugs", that a nation of pill poppers loves to have at their disposal, but that is another story.

My desire is to see some change in the ridiculous status quo, ie, some form of limited and controlled legalization for marijuana where government could have another legal substance in the tax pool that they could become addicted to. Maybe for sure a sunset clause if the desired results were not forthcoming. Wanna bet the results would be better than legalized gambling? I can see it now, school boards nation wide crowing about the benefits to schools and public education provided by the "product".

[HELLRAISER II]

The way our legal system is running nowadays the Smokers are next in line to become criminals, I wonder what these people are going to do when they wake up one morning to find out Cigarettes & nicotine have been added to the list of illegal drugs. Do you think they're going to quit cold turkey or are they going to become criminals overnight. I think that most of us already know the answer.

[-YYZ-]

"Have you seen "Trailer Park Boys"? Set somewhere near Dartmouth, Nova Scotia... "

This is too weird, second time in 2 days that I've heard this show mentioned, never heard of it before. Stranger still, upon looking into it a little, I discover that I went to high school with the creator of the show (Mike Clattenburg) and the characters basically come right out of the community I grew up in. Ummm, maybe I shouldn't mention that? Anyway, that's some right funny stuff there buddy.

[wita]

I'll wager that many tobacco users consider themselves at the very least, outcasts already.

[A. Pole]

I would venture to guess, that the list of side effects for marijuana, would pale next to some of the more benign "legal drugs", that a nation of pill poppers loves to have at their disposal, but that is another story.

Ritalin (can be even mandatory), Prozac, Viagra? What else?

[EBUCK]

Growers are increasingly buying homes, and in some cases entire blocks are devoted to the lucrative business.

The only just laws that they are breaking are local zoning ordinances.

I find it just a bit interesting that pot is so lucerative under prohibition that folks are willing and ABLE to buy up whole blocks (contributing in huge ways to local economies) and no one seems to know who they are....

EBUCK

[A CA Guy]

Libertarians are about to move north!!!

[robertpaulsen]

"The only just laws..."

Don't you mean the only 'EBUCK' laws? Those are the only ones you'll obey, so you might just as well call them that.

They're also bypassing the electric meter to power the grow lights. Do you think they're entitled to free electricity?