Neighbours Demolish Former Marijuana Grow Op

Neighbours of an upscale South Western Ontario neighbourhood took matters into their own hands when they were left with a former grow op house in their midst. Homeowners to either side of the vacant grow house bought the property and recently hired an excavation firm to have it demolished.

A large marijuana grow op was discovered on the property on St. Michaels street in LaSalle, Ontario in November 2011. Police raided the house and seized marijuana crops with an estimated value of $1.3 million.

The grow operation was set up in the basement, where some of the cement blocks had been removed from the walls to access hydro lines illegally. The equipment found and confiscated included electrical transformers and 1,000 watt sodium lights. The owner lived elsewhere in Windsor and had bought the property for the sole purpose of setting up a marijuana grow operation, according to police statements.

The amount of damage that is caused to such a property – especially when there are no residents to take into account – is enormous. A local newspaper reported that the property recently sold for $135,100 – just over half what it sold for a little more than a year earlier. Potential buyers often can’t get insurance, which means they won’t have access to a conventional mortgage.

Some of the neighbours in the tony neighbourhood were surprised to find the grow house on this leafy street, but you can find them anywhere. That’s the big issue with marijuana grow ops – not the ones that are known and discovered, but the majority that are not.

Grow Op Damage
The police know that for every marijuana grow op house they find, a few more remain off their radar. It’s something you need to be cautious of when buying a resale home. Marijuana grow ops can be found in upscale neighbourhoods as well as more modest locales and can cause significant damage within months.

Growing marijuana requires warm, humid conditions that are also ideal for mold growth, and it’s extremely common for former grow op houses to be mold infested, among other things.

Some of the more common health risks include:

  • Poisonous gas and chemicals
  • Biological contaminants
  • Poor indoor air quality
  • Formation of damaging mold and fungus
  • Mould and mildew from intense condensation
  • Greater chance of fires occurring

You Can’t Always Tell
A visual inspection alone won’t tell you about mold that’s hiding inside the walls or floors. The only way you’ll know for sure is with indoor environmental assessments and testing.

Indoor Environmental Assessments & Testing
Indoor environmental assessments and testing helps detect former Grow Ops.

Before buying your home or if you suspect it has been used as a ‘drug house’, consider hiring a professional indoor environmental assessment & testing company to do a mold, yeast, bacteria – and other toxic substances – inspection. These contaminates are often associated with grow ops and meth labs and are health risks.

As Indoor Environmental Assessment & Testing Specialists, you should know that it is ‘home buyer beware’, and that testing for former Marijuana Grow-Op activity has never been more important.

Know what you are getting into. For Grow-Op & Drug House Testing Services in Toronto, Contact Moldinspections.ca

Please call us for a hassle-free quote today.

MoldInspections.ca is the trusted leader for mold-free homes and breathable indoor air spaces in Toronto, the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), and beyond. Providing certified mold inspection, detection and testing since 2005, we service home owners, real-estate agents, landlords, property managers, insurance companies and businesses. Featured on CTV and recommended by contractors, we regularly serve as expert witnesses in court proceeding relating to Mold and Indoor Air Quality issues. Do you have mold? Call us today for a free quote at (416) 575-6111.

Recently Added