The number of illegal marijuana growing operations is rising so fast that some Canadian police agencies are being overwhelmed, the RCMP says."In some parts of the country, the phenomenon has reached epidemic proportions," says a report by the force's criminal intelligence directorate. "Police resources are now taxed to the point where difficult choices must be made when faced with competing priorities."
In 2001, major Canadian police forces seized close to 1.4 million marijuana plants, a six-fold increase since 1993, according to the report, Marijuana Cultivation in Canada: Evolution and Current Trends.
Based on the seizures and average yield per plant, the current annual production is estimated to be 800 tonnes. "The sheer size of those operations has also reached unprecedented levels. Every year, several multi-thousand plant operations are discovered, both indoor and outdoor," the report ...