GETTING RID OF THE GROW-OP PROBLEM

Marijuana has been called B.C.'s most lucrative cash crop, pumping
more than $1 billion annually into the province's underground economy.

Pot farms can appear in any neighbourhood. Suddenly a house is crammed
with 100 or more genetically engineered plants, each with the
capability of producing up to two ounces of green gold.

The product sells for roughly $2,000 a pound, and a farmer can turn
out three crops a year. Do the math and it's not hard to see why the
province has an estimated 18,000 marijuana grow-ops annually, with 150
of those in Nanaimo.

About five years ago, when Nanaimo looked like it was becoming a haven
for pot farmers, city staff started casting about for better ways to
control the problem. And today it appears to be getting a handle on
it.

In places like Surrey and New Westminster, cities were having some
success using their municipal powers to shut down grow-ops.

Nanaimo followed suit, and that, combined with the use of so-called
RCMP "green teams," appears to be yielding results.

In five years, the number of grow-ops appears to be falling off
considerably.

There is good reason to control the problem. Unregulated grow-ops
create a myriad of safety and health problems.

Growers render homes unlivable. They often steal hydroelectric power
to drive the powerful lighting, usually making dangerous modifications
to electrical wiring in the process.

They reroute plumbing and ventilation. Drywall can sometimes be
removed - even supporting walls have been ripped out to make room for
growing equipment.

Poor air circulation, combined with the condensation from hundreds of
metre-high plants can load the air with humidity, creating a climate
for mould to flourish. It can make the next occupants sick without
knowing why.

Growers are often armed and have been known to booby-trap buildings
with shotguns and other weapons to protect their valuable crop.
Attempted pot rip-offs have resulted in bloodshed.

By 2001, some media reports were calling B.C. bud the province's No. 1
agricultural crop, and that's around the time when Nanaimo opted to
get tough on the problem.

Tearing down a grow-op is hot, difficult, time-consuming and expensive
police work and the number of suspected pot-growing operations was
rising so fast by the start of the decade, many detachments were
having trouble keeping up. Police started to prioritize operations,
meaning smaller operations were often ignored.

The city decided to take a new tack. Rather than focusing on the
criminal element, they started using zoning and building code
regulations to attack the problem.

In February 2002, landlords were told publicly they would be
responsible if grow-ops were found on their property.

And grow-ops were deemed an agricultural use of the property, a zoning
violation. Changes to electrical wiring, plumbing or ventilation
systems were considered building code infractions, also contradicting
city bylaws.

Now when a grow-op is identified, the owner is notified and the water
and electricity are shut off immediately until the problem is addressed.

"What we have is serious bylaw contraventions - they are very real
concerns because of electrical safety and health issues," says Randy
Churchill, city bylaws services manager.

Churchill took his experience as a former RCMP officer with him when
he went to work for the city in 2004.

"There's also increased fire risks from the electrical wiring and
diversions that go with grow-ops."

When a grow-op is identified, the city draws up a checklist of
problems to be fixed before the building can be re-occupied. The
landlord's income is threatened - the onus is on him to prove the unit
is safe, or no one can live there.

Everything has to be fixed, from bad wiring and plumbing to mould
removal.

"It can run anywhere from $5,000 to $25,000 to get the house back to
standards," Churchill says.

And if the property owner thinks he can sell the property to avoid the
problem, the city puts a notice on the title to the property,
signaling a lemon to potential buyers.

"We then protect everyone involved," Churchill says.

"And we won't remove notice on title until consultants have cleared
the house. It creates the best possible way to make grow-ops safe to
the public - it really promotes public safety."

Using municipal powers has proven useful in controlling the problem,
says Andy Laidlaw, city general manager of community services.