POLICE OFFER TIPS TO HELP BATTLE GROW-OPS

The OPP are giving a heads-up to rural residents as another marijuana
growing season gets underway.

Each spring, particularly in May and June, people involved in growing
marijuana head to rural areas in search of property where they can
plant the illegal crop.

Police say favourite areas are swamps, corn fields, wooded areas and
along rivers.

Once an area is located, growers will bring in large bags of
fertilizer, shovels, chemicals, pails and of course the marijuana
plants. The plants are planted and maintained by the grower over the
next five months while they mature.

Due to the heartiness of the marijuana plant, they only have to be
tended to about once every two weeks.

Growers return in late September or early October to harvest the
plants, leaving the roots behind.

Marijuana plants are bright green and the leaves have seven jagged
'fingers.' Plants grow between three and five feet tall and have an
odour similar to that of a skunk.

Common indicators of outdoor marijuana grows are:

- - abandoned vehicles parked on side roads or trails

- - people walking in remote areas for no apparent reason

- - bags of fertilizer, planting trays or chemicals located in remote areas

- - well-trampled trails in wooded or swamp areas

- - cleared areas in swamps, woods or corn fields

- - numerous signs appear out of nowhere indicating "No Trespassing."

Call police or Crimestoppers if you suspect or locate a marijuana
grow operation.

Do not touch the plants due to possible chemicals on them.

If confronted by a marijuana grower, just leave the area, record any
licence plates and call police.

Police advise against approaching an outdoor grow as some of them are
booby trapped or guarded.

In 2007, the OPP's drug unit seized over 40,000 marijuana plants from
outdoor grow operations.

With the public's help, police hope to increase this number in 2008.