Jim Finnel
Fallen Cannabis Warrior & Ex News Moderator
This summer's sunny weather wasn't only beautiful and bountiful for beach-goers and sunbathers, but marijuana growers were also happy to soak in all of the rays.
"It was an unbelievable growing season this year, just because the weather was optimum," said Ontario Provincial Police Staff Sgt. Clint Hunter, commander of the Central North Drug Unit. "You had a lot of moisture there at the beginning and then a lot of heat, then some moisture again near the end. So, it was a bumper crop."
Most of the outdoor marijuana has been harvested by now, Hunter said.
"It's not over yet," he said. "If you look at a farmer's cornfield and the corn is gone, your weed's probably gone, too. It's the same sort of growing season as corn.
"If the frost hits and ( the marijuana ) is still there, it's useless," Hunter added. "It's just like your mom's potted plants out front."
There are generally two types of marijuana growers. Those who prefer the benefits of technology and keeping their plants under wraps with indoor growing, and others who take advantage of open spaces and seclusion outdoors.
But as far as preference, to each his own, police say. Most growers usually have expertise in one or the other.
"Most outdoor growers will start their plants indoors in the spring to get a head start, but not necessarily grow during the winter," Barrie police Const. Rob Adam said.
However, most of the people who are growing marijuana indoors at this time of year are indoors all the time, he added.
"We have had at least 10 or more outdoor grows this year," Adam said. "Most were small in size, about 75 plants or under. But there's still lots of area to grow, like backyards."
Whether it's indoor or outdoor, it's not a fading trend.
"I don't see it slowing down," Hunter said, adding there doesn't seem to be a preference for indoor or outdoor venues. "It's wherever opportunity exists."
Indoor grow-ops tend to be more organized, he added, more than a plant in the closet, which is becoming prevalent these days.
Officers still come across the full fields of marijuana periodically, but there are also scenarios where marijuana will be planted amongst other legitimate crops, such as corn.
Provincial police rely not only on tips from the public, but drug officers also get up into the air in an OPP helicopter to spot grow-ops from the sky.
"It's just one more tool that we can use and get up top," Hunter said. "You can be driving around on the roads all day -- that's why they grow it in swampy areas that you don't have access to."
The marijuana tends to stick out like a sore thumb, he added.
"The spotter ( a police officer ) usually knows the area, whereas the pilots just have an eye for it," Hunter said. "I think that's just because they're up in the sky a lot and just know how a field should look. It's an uncanny ability that the pilots seem have to be able to see it quickly."
The Central North Drug Unit's area goes from north of Toronto to the other side of Huntsville, and east-west from the Peterborough area and Collingwood.
Police encourage farmers and hikers to call authorities immediately if they stumble across a grow-op, primarily for safety reasons. Some marijuana crops have been found booby-trapped.
"If you come upon a plot, let us know as soon as possible," Hunter said. "With the bad guys protecting their plots, that's when people get hurt."
At this time of year, it has been a little busier for the Barrie drug unit dealing with outdoor grow-ops, but the indoor operations continue all year round.
"It's a 365-day, 24/7 business for us and for them," Adam said.
"We had substantially more indoor and outdoor ( grow-ops found ) this year," he added. "It doesn't mean, necessarily, there have been more, but we have had better success locating them."
Barrie police have also witnessed the benefits of better weather this summer for growing marijuana. Police released a photo of an officer standing beside an eight-foot plant that towered over him by a couple of feet.
NewsHawk: User: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: Barrie Examiner (CN ON)
Copyright: 2010, Osprey Media Group Inc.
Contact: Letter To The Editor - The Barrie Examiner - Ontario, CA
Website: The Barrie Examiner - Ontario, CA
Details: MapInc
Author: Raymond Bowe
"It was an unbelievable growing season this year, just because the weather was optimum," said Ontario Provincial Police Staff Sgt. Clint Hunter, commander of the Central North Drug Unit. "You had a lot of moisture there at the beginning and then a lot of heat, then some moisture again near the end. So, it was a bumper crop."
Most of the outdoor marijuana has been harvested by now, Hunter said.
"It's not over yet," he said. "If you look at a farmer's cornfield and the corn is gone, your weed's probably gone, too. It's the same sort of growing season as corn.
"If the frost hits and ( the marijuana ) is still there, it's useless," Hunter added. "It's just like your mom's potted plants out front."
There are generally two types of marijuana growers. Those who prefer the benefits of technology and keeping their plants under wraps with indoor growing, and others who take advantage of open spaces and seclusion outdoors.
But as far as preference, to each his own, police say. Most growers usually have expertise in one or the other.
"Most outdoor growers will start their plants indoors in the spring to get a head start, but not necessarily grow during the winter," Barrie police Const. Rob Adam said.
However, most of the people who are growing marijuana indoors at this time of year are indoors all the time, he added.
"We have had at least 10 or more outdoor grows this year," Adam said. "Most were small in size, about 75 plants or under. But there's still lots of area to grow, like backyards."
Whether it's indoor or outdoor, it's not a fading trend.
"I don't see it slowing down," Hunter said, adding there doesn't seem to be a preference for indoor or outdoor venues. "It's wherever opportunity exists."
Indoor grow-ops tend to be more organized, he added, more than a plant in the closet, which is becoming prevalent these days.
Officers still come across the full fields of marijuana periodically, but there are also scenarios where marijuana will be planted amongst other legitimate crops, such as corn.
Provincial police rely not only on tips from the public, but drug officers also get up into the air in an OPP helicopter to spot grow-ops from the sky.
"It's just one more tool that we can use and get up top," Hunter said. "You can be driving around on the roads all day -- that's why they grow it in swampy areas that you don't have access to."
The marijuana tends to stick out like a sore thumb, he added.
"The spotter ( a police officer ) usually knows the area, whereas the pilots just have an eye for it," Hunter said. "I think that's just because they're up in the sky a lot and just know how a field should look. It's an uncanny ability that the pilots seem have to be able to see it quickly."
The Central North Drug Unit's area goes from north of Toronto to the other side of Huntsville, and east-west from the Peterborough area and Collingwood.
Police encourage farmers and hikers to call authorities immediately if they stumble across a grow-op, primarily for safety reasons. Some marijuana crops have been found booby-trapped.
"If you come upon a plot, let us know as soon as possible," Hunter said. "With the bad guys protecting their plots, that's when people get hurt."
At this time of year, it has been a little busier for the Barrie drug unit dealing with outdoor grow-ops, but the indoor operations continue all year round.
"It's a 365-day, 24/7 business for us and for them," Adam said.
"We had substantially more indoor and outdoor ( grow-ops found ) this year," he added. "It doesn't mean, necessarily, there have been more, but we have had better success locating them."
Barrie police have also witnessed the benefits of better weather this summer for growing marijuana. Police released a photo of an officer standing beside an eight-foot plant that towered over him by a couple of feet.
NewsHawk: User: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: Barrie Examiner (CN ON)
Copyright: 2010, Osprey Media Group Inc.
Contact: Letter To The Editor - The Barrie Examiner - Ontario, CA
Website: The Barrie Examiner - Ontario, CA
Details: MapInc
Author: Raymond Bowe
