Pubdate: Fri, 03 Dec 2004
Source: North York Mirror (CN ON)
Copyright: 2004 North York Mirror
Contact:  http://www.insidetoronto.ca/to/northy/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2202
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada)

CITY GETS TOUGH ON GROW-OPS

City council is seeking new weapons in the war on marijuana grow-ops.
Council voted Tuesday night to ask senior levels of government for
more power for property standards and health inspectors who could then
use building safety and public health concerns as grounds for entry to
shut down the illegal operations.

A public awareness campaign to help residents identify potential grow
houses in their community will also be launched.

The city is already getting some help after an informal agreement
between the police and the city's property standards department was
reached meaning information is now flowing to the city, which enables
it to put building code orders on the closed houses to ensure they are
up to code before being sold or leased out again.

The concern is that the grow operation usually leaves chemical residue
and mould that is potentially dangerous.

Growers may also bore into the foundation to steal hydro service,
which could destabilize the home.

The situation has reached critical proportions in northwest
Scarborough specifically where police say more than half the almost
300 grow-ops busted this year were located.
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MAP posted-by: Derek