BY THE WAY ... YOU COULD GET SEVEN YEARS

Most indoor pot growers still grow marijuana the old-fashioned way - in
soil. But police say they've noticed a steady increase in the use of
hydroponic methods in recent years - a technique used to enhance growing
times and harvests.

Highly sophisticated hydroponic systems are often found in the largest pot
plantations - those involving thousands of plants, which police say tend to
involve organized crime.

But hydroponic growing techniques are also increasingly being used by small
growers.

In hydroponic gardening, plants aren't grown in soil; instead they're fed a
nutrient-rich solution.

Typically, plant roots are suspended in an inert, porous medium such as
rock wool, coconut husk or clay pellets and then watered with the solution.

But roots can also be misted with such solutions in a technique known as
aeroponics.

High-intensity grow lights with reflectors are often used in marijuana
grow-ops just as they are in most indoor gardening.

Unpollinated female plants are raised because of the high concentrations of
THC in their buds.

In the first phase of growing - known as the vegetative phase - young
plants are kept under constant light from 18 to 24 hours a day. When they
mature - something that generally takes about seven weeks - flowering is
induced by reducing light exposure to 12 hours a day. Soon the buds grow
fat and are ready for harvest and drying.

Indoor growers have to worry, among other things, about heat, humidity and,
of course, that tell-tale odour. For the latter problem, sophisticated pot
growers can purchase carbon filters for vents, air ionizers or other
devices to eliminate the smell.

Then there is the never-ending effort to develop the ultimate high-yield plant.

A recent edition of Heads magazine says there are now thousands of
varieties of marijuana.

"Breeders have been developing indoor varieties that are high-yield, potent
and compact," the magazine notes.

A hydroponic system with places for 30 plants can be purchased with all the
bells and whistles for $1,000 to $1,500, industry insiders say.

A packet of 10 seeds can be had for $50 to $425 (plus tax) depending - of
course - on the variety.

For that, the grower will end up with 1.5 pounds of pot after two to three
months of care, assuming the plants are hit with 3,000 watts of light.
Light is the key variable in determing yield. For every watt of light one
would expect to produce from a quarter to a half a gram of marijuana bud.

By the way, if you're convicted of producing marijuana you'll be liable to
a maximum sentence of seven years in prison.