Pubdate: Mon, 30 Apr 2001
Source: Vancouver Sun (CN BC)
Copyright: 2001 The Vancouver Sun
Contact:  http://www.vancouversun.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/477
Author: Patricia Bailey

POT FARMS POSE DANGERS TO NEIGHBOURS

Police say renovations to make growing easier also present fire hazards

Crude renovations to apartments done to accommodate marijuana-growing 
operations are a danger to people in neighbouring suites, Vancouver police say.

The marijuana growers' school of interior design often includes broken 
walls and dangerous, amateur electrical wiring as it did in an 
apartment-based growing operation discovered in East Vancouver last week.

The marijuana cultivators had rented two suites next to each other, knocked 
down the adjoining walls, and constructed their own gyprock dividers.  The 
potential for an electrical fire as a result of the renovations was very 
high, said police.

"Landlords and tenants should be vigilant about what's going on behind the 
doors of apartments in their buildings - for their own safety, police say.

Also on Saturday, RCMP disconnected the hydro at a home in Chilliwack after 
discovering a 112-plant growing operation in the adjacent garage.

"It wasn't wired to code standards.  It was very unsafe and could easily 
have resulted in a fire," said RCMP Corporal Peter Talvio.

Police arrested a 45-year-old man and seized a sawed-off shotgun, a rifle 
and ammunition in the incident.

Chilliwack RCMP are requesting that several charges be laid: possession and 
production of marijuana for the purpose of trafficking, careless storage of 
firearms and possession of a prohibited weapon.

On Thursday, Vancouver police raided three grow-operations: they removed 
100 plants in the 5600-block of Kerr Street; 80 plants in the 800-block of 
66th; and 100 plants at 3600 Vimy Crescent.

Police estimate marijuana is currently being grown in 4,000 to 7,000 rental 
houses in Vancouver.  After paying bills to repair damages caused by the 
operations, Vancouver landlords must then pay a $309 fee to the city to 
have their property declared safe again and $200 to reconnect the 
electricity and gas.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom