OTTAWA - A new study of people convicted for running marijuana grow-ops suggests many more of them will be sent to jail under a new Conservative crime bill.
The Justice Department study of 400 convictions found only about one in every six people convicted of growing marijuana for sale was sent to jail, while the rest faced less-severe penalties such as fines.
The number jailed could rise dramatically under new minimum-sentence provisions in the Tories' big crime bill, which is working its way through Parliament.
The bill imposes a mandatory minimum six-month jail term on anyone convicted in grow-op cases, with even longer terms depending on the number of plants and other factors.
The internal study, completed in March, was obtained by The Canadian Press under the Access to Information Act.
A spokeswoman for the Justice Department says the research confirms the findings of previous studies, and was not conducted to inform debate around minimum sentences.
