Thread: Marijuana grow ops

Good morning, Gents!

Sorry for the cross posting - Whether it’s due to Mr. Holmes or due to increasing awareness, I’m not sure. However, I’m receiving more interest in marijuana grows in homes.

I have put together an initial web discussion on the subject, but would like input from you guys, the Pros. What areas of discussion should I be addressing? What would you find informative?

Please let me know how you would change the discussion, and any other criticism you may have.

The discussion is at:
Legal Marijuana Grows – Growing a Problem

Cheers!
CaoimhÃ*n P. Connell
Forensic Industrial Hygienist
Forensic Industrial Hygiene

(The opinions expressed here are exclusively my personal opinions and do not necessarily reflect my professional opinion, opinion of my employer, agency, peers, or professional affiliates. The above post is for information only and does not reflect professional advice and is not intended to supercede the professional advice of others.)

AMDG

Similar Threads:

• Grow op suspect clues in attic
• Grow op

Don't no much about it. but what i see on the news. boot leg Electrical panels over stress Electrical systems. Water damage from interior plant watering.

Buyers need to be on the look out for these issues. Had a school teacher that had to back out of a sale due these condition.

If I were buying a home that was a Grow house I would want the police to do an inspection and be on notice of the homes past.

Best

Ron

Originally Posted by CaoimhÃ*n P. Connell

I have put together an initial web discussion on the subject, but would like input from you guys, the Pros. What areas of discussion should I be addressing? What would you find informative?

As posted on other thread, here is a basic guideline to identify a grow-op or drug house in your neighbourhood, also a sample report form for suspicious drug house :
http://www.richmond.ca/__shared/asse...orting8841.pdf
http://www.richmond.ca/__shared/asse..._Form22619.pdf

Pretty serious subject matter.

Legal some places to grow and or sell but a federal offense no matter what you are doing with it.

Correct that conflict and I think you will (over time) correct all. Either it is or is not legal.

Anyone growing it in an apartment or anywhere where the facilities are not up to the potential use or storing any kind of chemicals improperly should be a punishable offence as in any industry and appropriate actions taken.

Again. Either it is or is not legal. Pretty cut and dry.

Back to the clown in the apartment. He should be arrested on a plethera of charges endagering the health and life of others.

You and you bretheran keep doing your job but push for legal or not legal at the same time and what regulations there should be if it is legal.

Sometimes the signs are not all that in your face and for us to be guessing that this place or that is, was or never was is pure speculation and quite frankly unless it is serriously no doubt of the facts (which there is always doubt) we should not be speculating and passing that info off to anyone.

Example. I see suspicious characters all the time where I can just about guaranty that they are either in process of or already stole something from a store. Should I call store security and have them tackle the fool to find out they are just playing with their whatever in their pocket. I think not.

I can hear the convo now. You are inspecting a home and you are positive or just about positive that the home in question was growing what ever. You make the call. Your client comes when the police are searching the place...........Riiiiiight. It turns out the Charlie Brown grew a plant in his attic and left some slight signs behind.

I have inspected a very obvious home that was growing weed in South Dallas area and one in the Arlington area. No definates but I knew. No smoking gun. I left it alone. Both homes were repos and vacant. Just not enough for me to take the next step.

Personally I think it's beyond the scope of our profession to be labeling homes as "grow ops", "meth labs" or anything similar.

It's our job to document the condition of the home. If it's alter electrical, altered duct work, altered venting, mold in the attic...whatever. We, as home inspectors, should not be jumping to conclusions. Only state what we know is true and don't speculate.

If we see a red stain on the floor do we say, "someone must have been murdered here" or do we say "the floor is stained"?

If we're inspecting a vacant house and see a sleeping bag on the floor do we say, "It looks like transients are living here" or do we say, "personal property is noted in the home"?

Thanks, Gents!

I appreciate the input!

Ken's point is well taken... too easy to speculate on all kinds of possibilities... including aliens from space visiting the house and using it as a party house!

Cheers!
CaoimhÃ*n P. Connell
Forensic Industrial Hygienist
Forensic Applications Consulting Technologies, Inc. - Home

I agree with Ken, but everyone knows that aliens party in underground bunkers.

I found this in a foreclosure in my own upper middleclass neighborhood this weekend. The bank had cleaned up pretty well, painted, and intalled new carpet but I still found a couple of hints that the previous owner was perhaps a "closet grower".