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Grow Houses
Marijuana Grow Houses can exist in rural and urban areas and can
operate out of residential homes or industrial units. There
are an estimated 15,000 grow operation in Ontario alone.
Organized crime organizations favour renting or purchasing 2
storey homes of 3,000 to 4,000 sq.ft. and turning them into green
houses for growing Marijuana. These homes or industrial units
are operated at a minimum of 27 degrees celsius with a sustained
relative humidity of 80% or higher.
Extreme humid conditions cause extensive mould growth throughout
these buildings. Mould growth resulting from these conditions
are considered extremely hazardous due to their toxigenic
nature. Species of mould growth found in these buildings
in most cases posses mycotoxins which can be extremely hazardous and
life threatening for anyone who enters these structures. In
many cases mould growth is growing inside wall cavities out of sight
without any indication of a problem or any visible signs of moisture
damage.
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| Walls appear to have no
visible growth |
Insulation shows extensive
mould growth |
In many cases these homes pose a structural and mechanical
hazards as well as a fire hazard due to the modifications made to
sustain the illegal operation. Many of these buildings pose a
threat to life and safety to first responders like police, fire,
ambulance, building inspectors, and utility personnel due to the
presence of explosive and booby traps.
Once discovered and shut down by local authorities, these homes
can continue to pose a health threat to new occupants if the mould
growth and biohazard is not identified and remediated properly.
Common Hazards:
- Chemical Exposure
- Toxic Mould and Bacteria Exposure
- Fire and Explosion
- Booby traps
- Weapons hazard
- Violence and Criminal element
- Child abuse and exploitation
- Occupant health issues
- Biohazard
- Environmental damage to property
- Exotic animal hazard (alligators, snakes, etc. used to
protect drug product).
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