Despite tougher enforcement and legislative tools like increased sentences for Hydro theft, marijuana grow-ops continue to be a concern in the GTA.

When fire crews responded to a house fire on the evening of November 7 in Brampton, they found an apparent grow-op. Firefighters reported seeing marijuana plants on all floors of the building as they battled the blaze and police are investigating the alleged operation.

Typical to many illegal grow-ops, the home was vacant and it was neighbours who contacted the fire department after seeing smoke. The house had actually been uninhabited for years and the kids in the neighbourhood reportedly called it a “haunted house”.

It may not be home to ghosts and otherworldly spirits, but it’s almost certainly home to mold along with its illegal vegetation. Indoor marijuana cultivation requires levels of heat and humidity that produce condensation and make mold growth a near certainty.

Residents of the Brampton street are said to be taken completely by surprise by the presence of the alleged grow-op in their midst, but that’s often the point. In contrast to what many think of as back alley and slum condition illegal drug operations, traffickers often find upper middle class neighbourhoods like the Brampton area ideal. The houses and lots tend to be larger, meaning neighbours have less direct contact and there are fewer opportunities for passersby to see inside a building. The economic downturn of recent years means that vacant homes in those types of neighbourhoods aren’t uncommon and often attract little attention.

If you’re planning on purchasing a home, the realtor is obligated to let you know if it was used as a marijuana grow-op, however that fact may have gone unnoticed. While some, like the Brampton home, involve vacant homes where the entire building is used and it’s eventually uncovered, many other, smaller operations can exist in sections of an inhabited home – operations that are never discovered and brought to light, with the inherent problems, including mold and poor air quality issues, simply passed on to the next, unsuspecting buyer.

The only way to ensure peace of mind is to order grow-op testing from the experts at MoldInspections.ca. If you have any suspicions that a prospective or current property has been used as a grow-op, please call us for a 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.