To the Editor:

(Re: “A day in the death of a grow-op”, July 15, page 3)

This is how I imagine a pot grower might respond to this article:

“Dear police:

“Thanks large for cutting down all those pot plants. Tearing out five to 10 per cent of the area’s pot crop each year secures our continued funding like no other policy.

“Legalizing pot would cripple us, because everyone who wanted to could simply grow some in their yards, and that would put us right out of business. But your ongoing eradication efforts secure future customers coming to us for this oh-so-easy-to-grow medicinal herb.

“We simply cannot thank you enough, although we suspect you are pretty happy about your ever-increasing anti-pot budgets. You make money, we make money, there is lots of pot on the street, everyone is happy. Except the taxpayers, but who cares what those suckers think, right?

“Also, your propaganda in the news really helps us too. We can charge anywhere from $2,600-$3,500 per pound for this simple weed, because of the ‘perceived threat’. Our customers ask us why pot is so expensive, and we tell them that the police are ‘cracking down’ and we are facing big risks and so on. They have no choice but to accept it. Thanks large for that, too.

“So, by all means, please keep tearing out as many plants as you can, and keep lobbying for longer sentences. Even if you catch twice as many growers as last year, you still couldn't get more than 20 per cent of us, and that stimulates our entire industry — and yours! We will thank you for your efforts by calling in tips against our competitors.”

Russell Barth

Nepean, Ont.

Patients Against Ignorance and Discrimination on Cannabis (www.paidoc.org)