Pubdate: Tue, 22 Jan 2013
Source: Kamloops Daily News (CN BC)
Copyright: 2013 Kamloops Daily News
Contact:  http://www.kamloopsnews.ca/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/679
Author: Will Ciancone
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v13/n029/a08.html
Page 15

POLICE PUMP FEAR OF GROW OPS

Regarding Grow op Offers Possibility Of Risks To Kids (The Daily 
News, Jan. 14). While you did state the government's position, you 
failed to get the point this couple is trying to make.

They are doing nothing wrong or illegal and they passed all the 
requirements that the ministry worker set for them. That means that 
everything they did was to code and the air in the home had no mould 
spores but was three times cleaner then outside the house.

The family is pushing for justice and precedence over this, not 
because they value their children behind marijuana, it's because of 
the ministry worker's Orwellian approach to her job has made them 
occur unneeded expense and worry.

Marijuana is legal to use as medicine and to grow if the proper 
paperwork is done and checks made. These people passed all the 
requirements and legally started growing. The wiring you speak of is 
most times simply plugging in a light or adding a couple breakers and 
plug-ins. This man worked as a contractor and knew what he was doing, 
clearly, as everything passed inspection.

Now that it's legal for some you can get a ticketed person to do the 
work. The point of all this is that if that worker was educated and 
informed she wouldn't have made the calls she did.

I've been in many older homes that pose more risk to children then 
having a grow op. From your standpoint, everyone should have new 
houses to avoid any risks to children.

The problem they are fighting is exactly what you are doing. 
Ill-informed (opinions) and making decisions based on half-truths. 
Most of your questions could have been answered had you read the 
whole story instead of some parts or just the letters to the editor.

The police for years have been pumping fear of grow ops into the 
media so they can maintain a healthy budget to fight against them. In 
truth, you have probably been around more grows than you know of and 
didn't even notice.

Sure, fires have been started by grow ops. Things like digital 
ballasts have all but eliminated the biggest risk of fires. Welders, 
toasters, cigarettes and Christmas tree lights also cause fires.

People need to move past the "reefer madness" train of thought and 
understand that marijuana is going to be legal in a few years. The 
medicinal value is large. Countries like Israel have spent more than 
25 years looking into the plant and now make it available for most 
any health issue.

The point is this couple is fighting the violation of their rights, 
and for better training or education for workers that can make calls 
that tear families apart. These people followed all the rules and 
were doing something they had the right to do and were doing it 
safely. The power-hungry worker with no knowledge on the subject or 
the City's bylaws was at fault - not this couple.

WILL CIANCONE

Kamloops
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom