A Canadian on Politics

OTTAWA — The RCMP has launched a website listing the addresses of where marijuana grow-ops were found.

The National Grow Initiative is an RCMP-led project launched Wednesday in Ottawa that will focus on enforcement, deterrence and awareness as part of the National Anti-Drug Strategy.

Categorized by provinces, the website lists the addresses of homes, outbuildings and businesses where search warrants were executed. It also lists when the busts were made and how many marijuana plants were found. Clandestine drug labs are also included in the database.

The addresses will remain on the RCMP website for a period of one year.

“Marijuana grow operations harm communities. [show me your research - Mei] Wherever they exist, there’s the potential for an increase in criminal activity and a greater chance of fire, explosions and violence,” said RCMP Assistant Commissioner Mike Cabana.

British Columbia leads the list with the most grow-ops discovered, with several dozen locations listed, mainly in the Surrey area. A property in Hope, B.C., displayed on the website, was said to have had 6,496 marijuana plants found on it in June.

“(Marijuana) grow operations pose a serious threat to Canadians [Research!!! SHOW! - Mei], the safety of our communities and the law enforcement officers fighting against these illegal operations,” said Conservative MP Shelly Glover, in a news release on behalf of Vic Toews, the public safety minister. “The government of Canada is taking action to combat illicit (marijuana) cultivation in Canada, as well (as) the organized crime elements behind it.”

Marijuana, it should be noted, was added to the list of prohibited drugs in the Opium and Narcotic Drug Act in 1923 - without any debate about it in the House of Commons, and before it was a social issue in Canada.  First offences were not charged until nearly a decade later, and first convictions were fourteen years later.

There was no evidence of any scientific knowledge being presented about the negative affects of marijuana.

The Opium act itself, originally enacted in 1908 (thanks, MacKenzie King!) was largely spurred by racism/classism against the Chinese, who were “opium smokers”, while the white middle class were able to keep using their prescribed drugs from their doctors without the breakdown of Life as We Know It.

In short: our drug laws are not as black and white as many in law enforcement would like us to believe.

Sources: Stephen Hester and Peter Elgin, A Sociology of Crime (ISBN: 978-0-415-07370) & Giffen, Endicott and Lambert, Panic and Indifference: The Politics of Canada’s Drug Laws (ISBN 0-9695468-0-7)

The RCMP is taking responsibility for ousting people from recent Conservative campaign events in southwestern Ontario, acknowledging it broke the rules in doing so and saying it’s reminded Mounties to stick to their jobs.

Stephen Harper’s campaign has come under criticism this week because a number of people were ejected from his rallies in London and Guelph.

The focus of attention has been on the role that Tory partisans may have played in these expulsions – but now Mounties have thrust themselves into the story, saying it’s not their role to act as bouncers.

The RCMP said its only job is to safeguard the party leaders as they seek re-election.

“The RCMP is responsible for the security of party leaders,” Mounties spokesman Sergeant Greg Cox said in a statement.

“This mandate does not include managing the access of persons attending private events,” he said.

“RCMP members assigned to the security detail for party leaders have been reminded of their responsibilities.”

Bets on whether or not the Conservatives will admit they overstepped their bounds? Anyone?