STANDARDS GROWING UP

The provincial government has changed the Safety Standards Act to
help local police forces crack down on marijuana growers.

Under the changes announced by Fort Langley-Aldergrove MLA Rich
Coleman, who serves as the Minister Responsible for Housing,
electricity companies will now be required to give municipalities
information about homes with unusual power consumption, something
police forces have been asking for for some time.

That was impossible due to the Privacy Act - until now.

"The number of grow-ops in our province is increasing, and so are the
problems associated with those operations," said Coleman.

He listed the flammability of the grow-ops, the frequency at which
guns are found, and the likelihood of the buildings being robbed as
the major problems.

"They pose a danger to our neighbourhoods, and we're determined to
shut them down," Coleman said.

Most marijuana grow operations use large amounts of electricity to
power the electrical lights that fuel the growth of the pot.

However, many growers bypass the electrical meters on homes,
effectively stealing electricity.

The changes will help law enforcement officers to do their job. They
should take some of the heat off firefighters. Landlords will have
less to worry about, if the number of house-destroying grow-ops is
reduced. And neighbours may be able to sleep a little easier.

Coleman's announcement, made Thursday, should herald a welcome change
for nearly everyone affected by grow-ops - except the crooks, that is.