[Joe Boucher]

Not meaning any disrespect for the fallen officers, but what the hell are they still chasing cannibus growers and smokers for?
Don't they have any real criminals up there?
I mean like muggers and buggerers and rapists and murderers and I mean real criminals?
Oh yeah, that's right, I remember there is a lot of money to be made in the battle against the killer evil weed marijuana.
What with lawyers and drug counseling and reeducation and all the other b.s associated with it.

[sittnick]

Don't they have any real criminals up there? ... there is a lot of money to be made My wife is from Grande Prairie, Alberta. Once you get northwest of Edmonton, there's Whitecourt and Grande Prairie (300 miles away) and not a heck of a lot else in between. Imagine a more rural version of North Dakota and you will get the picture.

Also, if this guy was willing to take out four RCMP, there is a very good chance that he was doing something more than growing for local consumption. He HAS a criminal record, so yes, he is a REAL criminal. In that part of Alberta, there wasn't a "lot of money to be made" against a one man operation in a remote location. Canada already does a pretty good job of taxing and spending on social programmes. Pot is not a big part of the equation.

[fanfan]

Not meaning any disrespect for the fallen officers, but what the hell are they still chasing cannibus growers and smokers for?

Don't they have any real criminals up there?
I mean like muggers and buggerers and rapists and murderers and I mean real criminals?

Oh yes, we have real criminals...Jean Chretien, Paul Martin, Jean Carle, Alex Himelfarb, Alphonso Gagliano, etc.
I don't think they smoke drugs though.

[-YYZ-]

"Not meaning any disrespect for the fallen officers, but what the hell are they still chasing cannibus growers and smokers for?"

I'd guess they were enforcing the law - growing pot is still against the law in Canada, and even if the new proposed law decriminalizing possession of small amounts is passed, the same bill increases the penalties for cultivation. And, as this incident shows, while pot users may be pretty peaceful, those who grow the stuff in quantity can be very violent, either in an attempt to protect their operations, or to avoid being caught.

OTOH, if the stuff was completely legalized, these 4 RCMP officers would probably still be alive. I doubt that tougher laws against cultivation will make this problem (of grow operations) go away, it'll just ensure that only the most fearless, dedicated criminals are involved in it.