Creative accounting

I don't usually link to subscriber only articles but this one is such a blatant example of overvaluing a marijuana bust that I'm going to give you the excerpts anyway.

Cops bust Kirkland grow house

A tip from a suspicious resident led police to dismantle a grow house in Kirkland last month and seize 738 marijuana plants as well as 1,098 grams of marijuana. "Thanks to information provided by citizens, police officers from Station 1and from the West-End Drug Squad carried out, at 1:30 p.m. on Sept. 20, a search and seizure in a home on Timberlea Trail in Kirkland, discovering a grow house," said Montreal police Constable Anthony Kissmate. He said a citizen, who had just read tips on how to detect the presence of grow houses, called police.

Kissmate said the value of the plants was estimated at $738,000 on the black market; and the value of the marijuana and equipment was estimated at $10,000. Kissmate said the basement of the home had been completely transformed into a grow house. "Criminal accusations for production and possession with the intent to traffic are pending," he said.

Station 1 commander Michel Lecompte said that since 2002, including the search and seizure on Timberlea Trail, Station 1 officers, with the help of the drug squad, have dismantled 32 grow houses on its territory. Here are some marijuana seizure statistics from Station 1, including the latest bust, dating back to 2002:

32 grow houses dismantled

9,676 plants seized

59, 570 grams seized

$10.2 million worth of plants and grams

$333,690 in equipment

32 criminal accusations laid

Areas most affected are Beaconsfield and Kirkland, with 13 and nine grow houses discovered, respectively.

Thanks to Tim Meehan for the tip and for doing the math. "It would appear at first glance that they are saying that each plant
produces 6 grams, which, at $1000 per plant, means that each gram costs $166.66!"

Looks like the local law enforcement is even worse at mathematics than I am. I would bet however, that they spent a lot more busting the places than the cannabis was really worth.