Most of Canada’s marijuana growers are otherwise law-abiding: advocates

Government data show just 5 per cent of marijuana criminal cases over an eight-year period had links to organized crime or street gangs
The Globe and Mail (Canada)
Tuesday, August 9, 2016

canada-cannabis-ottawaContrary to RCMP wisdom, organized crime groups play a relatively small role in Canada’s underground cannabis trade. The majority of people behind illegal grow operations and dispensaries are otherwise law-abiding, a group of academics and small-scale marijuana businesses have told the federal legalization task force. A Federal Court judge questioned the credibility of the RCMP’s expert witness on illegal marijuana cultivation. In his ruling, the judge noted that the Mounties had no hard data to back up their claims that home growers licensed under Canada’s old medical system were magnets for violent thieves and organized crime.