A 100-plant grow operation off of Hamm Road is removed after police spotted it on Crown Land.
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ShareONLINE FIRST: Pot grower's pipe dream goes up in smoke
By Colleen Dane - Comox Valley Record
Published: August 25, 2008 5:00 PM
Updated: August 25, 2008 5:11 PM
The plans of an Island-based marijuana grower went up in smoke Friday.
Members of the Outdoor Marijuana Eradication Program made short work of cutting down 100 plants, found just 50 feet off Hamm Road on Crown land, as part of their annual cleanup of crops established on often-isolated property.
"Our primary objective is to remove the product before it gets to the market," said Const. Darren Lagan, spokesperson for the program, which includes Victoria and Saanich police, Vancouver Island RCMP and the Canadian Forces.
Beginning this week, police will seek and destroy grow operations — removing what they anticipate will be more than 20,000 plants as they did last year.
It's a significant dent in a product that directly feeds organized crime on the Island, said Lagan. With two pounds of marijuana coming from each plant, operations with 400 to 500 plants — like they find in more isolated areas — are real contributors to pot supply and sales in B.C.
Grow operations like the one at the north end of the Comox Valley cut down last week, are not only important to remove because of the illegal activity — but also because of the environmental impacts of them.
This one was drawing water from a pool next to the road, with a system of hoses crossing through the site, which was obviously cleared to grow the marijuana plants. There are empty plastic bags of growth enhancers on the ground, between the individually bagged plants.
"When they harvest, these people .... are certainly not going to clean up after themselves," said Lagan, referring to garbage strewn on site.
The police will clean up after them, though, if they find the operation. In a short half-hour, three members had cut down all the plants — heaving them into a pile ready for transport to the incinerator. They would also remove the root bags, hosing and other material. The empty clearing will be all that greets the growers when they return to check on the plants that were about a month away from harvest.
Clearing out operations is the program's goal, said Lagan — not staking them it out to find the perpetrators.
"That's our main focus — not necessarily catching the individual — our focus is taking down literally to the root and making sure it doesn't hit the streets."
The specific timeline of the police operation would not be released.
reporter@comoxvalleyrecord.com
