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Clampdown Ahead For Area Grow-ops
Bevan says new measures to combat burgeoning problem
Dave Rogers | The Ottawa Citizen | 08/04/2006

Higher fines and more tools to help police and electrical utilities shut down marijuana grow operations came into effect this week, and Ottawa police Chief Vince Bevan hopes these measures will help Ontario communities control the rising threat of organized crime.

In announcing the new law yesterday, Community Safety and Correctional Services Minister Monte Kwinter said the rules will help police and fire officials, utilities and municipalities discourage indoor marijuana grow-ops.

Chief Bevan said the law will give police, firefighters, the insurance and real estate industries and electrical utilities the opportunity to work together to combat grow-ops. He said Ontario's policing and insurance costs related to grow-ops and electrical power losses totalled $263 million between 2000 and 2003.

"Grow-ops bring organized crime into residential neighbourhoods," the chief said. "They increase the risk of fire by 40-fold. Temperatures and humidity in grow-ops foster moulds and strong and dangerous chemicals are used. Explosions and electrocutions are possible and some of the grow-ops are booby trapped to injure or kill anyone who tries to enter them."

Chief Bevan said the increasing number of firearms found at grow-ops is a danger to police and emergency workers. He said many Ottawa growers expose their children to the hazards of the business.

"They are not mom-and-pop operations -- they are mostly controlled by organized crime, and they subsidize other dangerous criminal activities. It is important that government, police and key business sectors come together to combat this menace to our families, neighbours and our communities."

Chief Bevan added that the police have serious concerns about the number of ecstasy and crystal meth manufacturing laboratories in Ottawa.

"The poisons in those environments -- and the risk to any first responder or any member of the public who goes to these laboratories on business -- is significant," Chief Bevan said.

"We hope that this law on marijuana will put us into a good position to deal with those labs as well."

Fines for using electric power to grow marijuana will double to $50,000 for individuals and $5,000 for each day the offence continues. There will be jail terms of up to one year under the Electricity Act and fines of up to $1 million for corporations that misuse power.

Hydro utilities will be able to disconnect power supplies without notice. Municipalities will be able to inspect buildings that have been used to grow marijuana, and the owners will have to pay to correct any wiring or safety problems before they are resold.

Mr. Kwinter also said he's looking into creating a provincewide registry of residences that have been grow-ops or meth labs so potential buyers can have inspectors look for mould and electrical or structural damage.

"We want to make sure that nobody unsuspectingly buys a house that's had the structure compromised because of a grow-op," said Mr. Kwinter.

Indoor marijuana grow-ops usually use large amounts of electricity.

The proceeds from the sale of the buildings housing marijuana grow operations and their contents will be used for law enforcement, crime prevention and victim compensation.

Mr. Kwinter, who spoke at a fire station near Woodroffe Avenue and Baseline Road, said illegal grow operations are an increasing threat in Ontario because marijuana is typically traded in the United States for guns and cocaine.

"Police suspect that organized crime has replaced independent operators as the prime source of commercial marijuana," Mr. Kwinter said. "Marijuana grow-ops are increasingly being located in highly populated urban residential areas.

"This legislation is about protecting neighbourhoods from health and fire risks that come with grow-ops, fighting organized crime and protecting the economy and home buyers."

Russell Barth of Ottawa, who has a medicinal marijuana licence, said the new law ignores Ontario's crack cocaine problem while discouraging "relatively harmless indoor gardening." He said the law makes it harder for small marijuana producers to grow at home, leaving a vacuum that will be filled by organized crime.

"The places that are causing the problems are stealing hydro, destroying homes and using workers who are virtually slaves," Mr. Barth said.

"This legislation will scare away all the mom-and-pop growers, but the bikers will continue to drive around my neighbourhood wearing their colours during the day and sell crack cocaine at $3 a rock. We should be encouraging people to grow a little bit at home because it puts the black market right out of business."

 

Richi

"This legislation will scare away all the mom-and-pop growers, but the bikers will continue to drive around my neighbourhood wearing their colours during the day and sell crack cocaine at $3 a rock. We should be encouraging people to grow a little bit at home because it puts the black market right out of business."

This guy's got it right on. Too bad no one is listening.

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