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The Risks of House-Sitting for Marijuana Grow-Ops
The RCMP estimates there are at least 50,000 marijuana grow-ops in Canada. Not surprisingly, Pardon Services Canada staff are hearing more and more about grow op house-sitters being solicited by the owners of grow ops to oversee the homes that are producing the plants. People may naively accept such offers thinking this is an easy way to make extra cash, having no idea what ramifications could be in store for them. These kinds of cases are frequently seen among individuals who are in a vulnerable state of financial distress. The grow-op owners are apparently trying to use them as shields.
Unbeknownst to the house sitter, if caught by police, they can be charged with a number of things – production, cultivation or possession of a scheduled substance, possession for the purpose of trafficking, and possession of property obtained through crime, just to name a few. All of this even if the plants, the house or the paraphernalia associated with the operation, is not actually owned by the house sitter. Last year, a Surrey, BC man was convicted by a jury of being involved in the production of a controlled class B drug after stating he was just watching over the “storage space” for his wife. Two other people – a man believed to be his nephew and a woman were also charged after their fingerprints were found at the site.
Landlords and Tenant Grow-Ops
On a related note, more stories of landlords being held responsible for their tenants’ grow-ops have surfaced. This can result in a conviction for the landlord as well as fines for by-law and code violations. How do the police detect these operations? From information provided by an electrical utility company. Without prompting, the company provides information to police about abnormally high electricity consumption in homes.
Last year, an Ontario a house was found growing 187 cannabis plants, with 4.5 kilograms of processed marijuana and possessing almost $23,000 in cash, when the home was raided. The couple convicted in this story had their lawyer argue that their privacy was unlawfully infringed upon without probable cause. This would be true in other circumstances, however there is apparently no police policy when it comes to receiving information from hydro companies, and large hydro consumption or inconsistencies in usage can indicate a grow-op. The utility company and Ontario’s Energy Board conditions of service contain notices about police notification when there is unauthorized energy use.
Be Cautious
In light of the above, if ever approached to house-sit or rent to a grow op, keep in mind that you can be considered just as guilty as the owner of the operation. For more information on this topic, contact one of our Record Suspension and Waiver Specialists at 1-8NOW-PARDON.
