POT: ITS IMPACT ON THE COMMUNITY

Marijuana Production Impact Statement Coquitlam 2005

Over the past five years, Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam have
experienced a dramatic increase in the number of marijuana grow
operations reported to the police. Since 1998, Coquitlam RCMP has seen
a 285% in indoor marijuana grow operations complaints in Port
Coquitlam and a 347% increase in indoor marijuana grow operations
complaints in Coquitlam. Police drug investigators estimate that there
are more than 300 marijuana grow operations within the city limits of
Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam. This document is intended to provide
factual information concerning the impact marijuana grow operations
have had on the community of Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam.

Organized crime and marijuana grow operations

Intelligence and evidence gathered during police investigations
indicate that organized crime groups control many of the marijuana
grow operations located in the province of British Columbia. These
groups include not only traditional organized crime groups such as
outlaw motorcycle gangs and Asian gangs but also other non-traditional
organized crime groups that are operating locally, nationally and
internationally.

The value of marijuana

Marijuana grown in Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam is often exported to
the United States and more specifically to the Seattle and Los Angeles
areas. United States Drug Enforcement officers advise that a pound of
marijuana from British Columbia worth approximately $2,200 in Canada
may sell for as much as $5,000 in Seattle. Profits made from the sale
of marijuana are often used by organized crime groups to finance other
criminal activity. This criminal activity may include the
manufacturing of other drugs such as methamphetamine or ecstasy and
the importation of cocaine. Marijuana originating from British
Columbia is a very valuable commodity that his highly south by many
criminal organizations. A recent study conducted by the Fraser
Institute estimates the marijuana trade in British Columbia to be
worth more than $7 billion.

Increase in THC content

Indoor grown marijuana has larger concentration levels of
Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) than in the past. THC is the active
ingredient in marijuana that causes the physical and psychological
effects users experience. In the 1960s, marijuana typically had a THC
content of 2% or 3%. Today, indoor grown marijuana is routinely found
to have a THC content well in excess of 10%.

Related crime

Increase in violent crime

In the past few years, the cities of Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam have
experienced a significant increase in violent crime. The city has
recently experienced a number of marijuana grow rips. A rip takes
place when individuals forcefully enter a residence where marijuana is
being grown. Suspects normally produce weapons, physically assault,
threaten, torture, and sometimes shoot the residents prior to removing
the marijuana plants. Due to the illegality of growing marijuana, the
"rips" often go unreported to police. Only when the level of violence
is extreme are police made aware of these incidents. On two occasions
in 2004, suspects have attended the wrong address and threatened
and/or assaulted innocent citizens. In these cases, there was a grow
operation next door to the victims' residence. In 2004, Coquitlam RCMP
received five reports of home invasions that can be directly
attributed to the presence of marijuana grow operations in the community.

Use of weapons and booby traps

Police are finding that more marijuana growers are arming themselves
for protection from these "rips" and as such pose an increased risk to
the public and police. Guard dogs and weapons such as knives, bats and
firearms are encountered in many marijuana grow operations. Booby
traps at grow operations designed to act as a deterrent against thefts
or "rips" are less frequently encountered but remains a hazard.
Coquitlam RCMP members are finding bear spray, swords and various
other weapons in residences where marijuana grow operations are
present. This factor substantially increases the potential danger for
police and other unsuspecting individuals who may enter onto the
property of a marijuana grower.

Danger to police, firefighters, children and members of the general
public

Marijuana grow operations require abnormally high levels of
electricity to power high wattage lights that accelerate plant growth.
In an effort to avoid high electrical consumption (and, in turn,
detection and costs) growers will steal hydro electrical power and
bypass power metres. The bypass may prevent BC Hydro from noticing the
unusual electrical consumption. A 2004 study conducted by the
University College of the Fraser Valley showed that, on average,
marijuana grow operations divert more than $3,000 of electricity. This
cost is ultimately passed on to legitimate hydro consumers and
taxpayers. Electrical diversions create dangerous situations for hydro
employees and police officers when they are dismantling marijuana grow
operations. Such tampering is not only dangerous to the growers, but
also innocent people, including children, who live in residences where
marijuana is being grown and such electrical bypasses are present.
Because of health and safety concerns, police and other first
responders are now wearing safety equipment such as safety glasses,
masks and gloves when encountering marijuana grow operations.

Potential house fires

The electrical bypasses and unsafe electrical wiring used in marijuana
grow operations are a common cause of house fires. There is an
ever-present danger to fire fighters at any structural fire, however,
there are increased risks when attending grow operations because of
the unsafe electrical bypasses, booby traps (used to protect the
operation), entanglement hazards caused by illegal electrical wiring,
confrontations with attack dogs, and an array of toxic chemicals. Fire
fighters regularly put themselves at risk and in fighting fires in
residential structures. The possibilities of occupants requiring
rescue causes firefighters to enter buildings, which normally the
would not enter. The added risks accompanying an illegal grow
operation or a clandestine laboratory complicates their efforts,
increases the danger and raises the risk. In 2004, two homes in
Coquitlam and one in Port Coquitlam suffered major structural damage
due to fire as a result of a hydro bypass used for the purposes of
powering a marijuana grow operation. These fires caused close to $1
million in property damage.

Increased costs to policing and fire department

The Coquitlam RCMP currently ha six police officers that are attached
to the Marijuana Enforcement Team. These members are responsible for
investigating marijuana grow operations in Coquitlam and Port
Coquitlam. The expense and cost to the taxpayer of combating marijuana
grow operations in the cities of Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam are more
than $1 million a year. Dismantling of a standard marijuana grow
operation alone can cost as much as $4,000. Countless hours of
investigation, surveillance, court preparation and file maintenance
are dedicated to each case. The cost of fighting fires varies widely
with the complexity of the structure and the size of the fire;
however, on average, the direct costs to the fire department are
approximately $3,000 to $5,000 per incident. Additional costs to the
community are not included in these estimates.

Structural damager to the interior

Marijuana grow operations can cause extensive damage to the interior
of residences. Over time, high humidity inside a marijuana grow
operation will destroy interior drywall and produce mould. Many
studies report that moulds found inside homes where marijuana grow
operations were located are extremely toxic. In essence, the interior
of these homes is contaminated causing long term health risks to the
current and future occupants. The cost of restoring a contaminated
structure to its original condition can be extremely high.

Harm to the environment

Marijuana growers typically discard used chemicals into community
drainage systems or back yards resulting in environmental damage. The
heavy use of pesticides produces an extremely toxic by-product.

Destruction of property/increased personal injury/other
costs

Homeowners and landlords

Marijuana growers often buy or rent homes to grow marijuana. The
interior of the homes are customized to accommodate the grow
operation. Once the marijuana grow operation is dismantled, the home
is almost always left with extensive damages. If the grower intends to
sell the home they will often make basic or cosmetic repairs to try
and cover up evidence of this activity. If the grower is renting the
residence, they will usually abandon the house and leave the landlord
to deal with the mess. An unsuspecting buyer or renter will often
inadvertently expose the new occupants of the home to toxic moulds,
mildew and pesticide residue. The cost of repairs in all cases exceeds
the value of the landlord's damage deposit and, in most cases, is not
covered by household insurance.

Insurance costs

The Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) advises that most insurance
provides are detailing exclusions in their policies related to
marijuana grow operations or simply have an illegal activity clause.
Currently, landlords are finding themselves at a loss because the
insurance policies do not cover damage from this type of activity. In
addition, IBC advises that most of the claims form landlords are
related to structure damage, specifically in these cases the addition
of new walls or damage to old ones, condensation or the presence of a
marijuana grow operation. Rates do tend to rise due to the
accompanying related property crimes that often plague effected
neighbourhoods. Marijuana grow operations haver been known to attract
problems in a neighbourhood including break and enters, vandalism and
theft. This increase in property crime forces the insurance rates to
rise. IBC recognizes marijuana grow operations as "a part of the large
cycle of crime and violence."

Conclusion

The growth of organized crime is one of the most critical problems
faced by policing in British Columbia. It is an issue that has a
negative impact on the quality of life of the citizens of this
province. The illicit drug trade, fueled by the marijuana production
industry of this province, is often directly related to cocaine
importation, methamphetamine production and other drug-related crimes.
In turn, the illicit funds derived from these crimes support elaborate
money-laundering networks throughout the province that are controlled
by local, national and international criminal organizations. The drug
traffickers and the users of some of these illegal drugs, cocaine and
methamphetamine in particular, will often be involved in a wide
variety of street level crimes. It is these crimes which most impact
upon the everyday lives of the citizens of British Columbia;
robberies, drive-by shootings, all types of weapons offences, break
and enter, thefts, car thefts, street-level trafficking, prostitution,
frauds schemes of every description, assaults and the list goes on.