Canada has rather relaxed laws on marijuana use when compared to other countries, and licensed growers running a grow operation for medical use are completely legal.
However, these growers rarely run a commercial facility and often use houses to grow the marijuana. Just like the toxic black mold that is found long after an illegal grow op is shut down and the home is sold without a proper mold inspection to an unsuspecting buyer, these legal operations create just as much heat and humidity – perfect conditions for mold to grow.
The home is in no better shape, and the growers need as much privacy as possible because the legality of their operation is no deterrent for those who would gladly rob a grow-op in the middle of the night. Police are rarely informed about the legal grow ops, according to the Langley RCMP in British Columbia.
They reported recently that they only discovered a local grow-op was indeed legal after numerous complaints from neighbours about the odour. Two weeks later, it was robbed in the middle of the night. These homes also were not technically used for “illegal” activities, so real estate agents are that much less obligated to inform potential buyers or recommend they look into obtaining a mold inspection for the property.
Health Canada grows marijuana treated with radiation to inhibit mold growth potential, but most legal growers using residential property prefer instead to use different strains that are known to treat specific ailments better than Health Canada’s marijuana. Cases where entire families have had to leave a home after only a few months are becoming more and more common because a home inspection process may not find the mold.
If there is mold, it is also extremely difficult to hold the home inspector, real estate agent or seller liable. The legality of a grow-op by no means lessens the health and safety risk presented by mold, but it does increase the likelihood that the future owners of the home won’t know about the potential health and safety complications until it’s too late.