MEDICINAL POT BATTLE HITS HOME

Neighbour Raises Stink Over Rowhouse Grow Op

Mom's a certified biologist working at a pharmaceutical company. Pop's
a stay-at-home dad.

They have three beautiful boys, aged 7, 2 and 10 months.

Together they live a normal, happy life.

Everything is on the up and up at their Carleton Place rowhouse,
except dad's got a secret he's hiding in the basement.

His marijuana grow op is only a few weeks from harvest.

He doesn't grow the drug to make money. It's for pain
relief.

Rudy Seegobin is licensed by Health Canada to grow his own pot for
medicinal reasons.

Seegobin, 41, suffers from Crohn's disease, a twisted spinal cord and
severe arthritis.

He grows the pot to ease the pain. The only problem is his house is
adjoined to another and the neighbour claims the smell of marijuana
permeates through the walls.

No Inspectors

Tammy Rutledge says she was forced to move and put her rowhouse up for
sale.

Rutledge, 42, tried to get Seegobin's licence revoked. Then she
thought maybe someone from Health Canada could inspect the operation.
Not likely. Health Canada doesn't have inspectors in Ontario.

If the federal agency did, its inspectors would have seen that
Seegobin lines two small rooms in his basement with white tarp, has a
ventilation system and grows a small number of plants. He's allowed up
to 73.

Inspectors would have also discovered that Seegobin controls his
humidity, which experts say creates mould. Meters show he keeps it
below 30%. The recommended level is 40-50%.

"Everything is safe, secure and done up to code," he said. "I wouldn't
do anything that would put my family in harm or anyone else. Look
around, there's no mould anywhere."

Rutledge says she was worried about the health of her ailing mother
she takes care of, due to mould and mildew.

"I don't have mould or mildew problems (on my side) but I am worried
that there could be in the future or maybe it's in the walls and I
can't see it," says Rutledge.

She called her insurance company to see if she's covered in case
Seegobin's grow op does create mould.

"If it was to happen, they said I wouldn't be covered."

Rutledge put her house on the market in May, shortly after losing her
daycare business.

One of the children had respiratory problems and difficulty breathing
properly, Rutledge alleges, because of the smell.

"The mother was quite concerned and stopped bringing her child. She
was protecting her child and I would have done the same thing,"
Rutledge says. "The stench is that strong."

That's during the last few weeks of growth and even Seegobin admits
that for that short period of time, it does get smelly.

Despite all of this, Rutledge respects why Seegobin needs the
marijuana, but wonders if anyone should be allowed to operate a grow
op in a rowhouse.

"We're both victims in this. I feel for Mr. Seegobin. I know he's in a
lot of pain. I just wanted him to get rid of the grow op and find
other methods."

Rutledge called Health Canada. "I asked them isn't there somebody who
can come and check if it's being filtered right."

But there isn't an inspector in Ontario (or Alberta).

Police Raid

Seegobin would open his door to an inspector, especially after what
he's been through over the last year.

Nearly a year ago, on July 27, he was arrested after police kicked in
his front door and charged him with running an illegal grow op. Three
days earlier he was charged after a cop pulled him over and found 71
grams of pot in his vehicle.

He didn't have a medicinal licence then and was thrown in jail for
four days.

He fought the charges and less than six months later everything was
dropped. Police returned his growing equipment and other items.

In January, Seegobin got a licence to grow marijuana,
legally.

Besides the smell during the last three weeks of a growth cycle, he
says there shouldn't be a problem.

He feels for Rutledge but without the marijuana he can barely stand up
from the pain crippling his body.

"I'm not doing anything wrong," he says. "I'd be more than happy to
let anyone come in and see."

Andrew Roche, with Ottawa Public Health, advises Rutledge to hire
experts to check the air quality, which she hasn't done.

"I would certainly get clearance from an indoor air professional,"
says Roche.

Seegobin says the Carleton Place Fire Department has checked his grow
op after Rutledge called about the smell earlier this year.

"They came in and inspected it. They said there was nothing wrong with
it," he says.

Seegobin wonders if a Health Canada inspector had been in place, then
Rutledge wouldn't have left her home in fear and they'd both be
enjoying a glass of iced tea on the back porch, instead of arguing
about who is right.