POLICE START CRACKDOWN ON OUTDOOR POT GROW-OPS

Police across Vancouver Island have begun their annual hunt for
outdoor marijuana crops, which involves the use of military
helicopters to weed out the illegal gardens.

Although the RCMP says it locates grow-ops year round, police
normally step up their efforts in late summer when the plants are
budding and may soon be harvested. An RCMP helicopter and two Sea
King helicopters will be involved in the crackdown, which usually
lasts a couple of weeks, said Comox RCMP Const. Tammy Douglas.

"There's a short window of opportunity," she said. "It's alarming how
many plants are out there." Last summer, the RCMP reported they had
seized about 29,000 plants on Vancouver Island, up from 23,000 the
previous year.

One of the largest outdoor marijuana busts on the Island this summer
was earlier this month near Fanny Bay. RCMP destroyed 1,032 plants
and arrested six people at or near the site.

The majority of outdoor growing operations are located in remote
areas, often requiring helicopter support, said Douglas.

Marijuana advocate Ted Smith, who teaches a course about cannabis in
Victoria, said increased pressure from law enforcement and more
people spending time in the backcountry has forced pot growers deeper
into the bush. "Year after year the bush is becoming a busier place," he said.

Although the RCMP claim that cash made from selling marijuana on
Vancouver Island fuels organized crime, Smith said many of the larger
pot growers have left the area because of increased pressure from the
public and police.