funkywanderer
TRIBE Promoter
Did anybody else see this? I searched for related threads and came up empty...
I wish that I had thought of this first...
Full article here
CANADA'S LARGEST GROW OPERATION, BY THE NUMBERS
30,000
Estimated number of plants
$30 million
Estimated street value of the plants found
$100 million
Estimated worth of the annual crop, based on four crops a year
1,000
Number of growing lamps
25
Number of beer vats converted to incubation chambers for the seedlings
6,000
Size of the growing facility, in square metres, about half of the entire building
50
Number of people who could be housed in the on-site dormitory
9
Number of people arrested in the raid
The "big box" marijuana growing operation found in the former Molson brewery in Barrie, Ont., was the largest and most sophisticated in Canadian history, police said.
The "factory" was certainly not typical of the estimated 15,000 marijuana operations in Ontario, most of which are in a rural setting, said CBC Radio contributing editor Rosie Rowbotham on Here and Now, the afternoon program on CBC Radio in Toronto.
In many ways, the former brewery was an ideal environment for growing pot, said Rowbotham. Some of the beer vats were converted into incubators for the seedlings, where the temperature and humidity could be control with great precision. The facility had excellent drainage and its tile floors and walls wouldn't be affected by all the water the operation needed.
As well, the facility's ventilation system sucked up the air from the operation and filtered out the telltale smell of the plants and the chemicals used in their cultivation. There were also reports that another company in the building complex would continually roast coffee beans to mask the odour. Police said some businesses that were renting space in the complex were not involved.
Given that Molson only sold the property late in 2001, Rowbotham said the operation had probably been running for less than a year. Although only nine people were arrested in the raid on the Barrie operation, Rowbotham said it was clear that more people were needed to run it. He said an acquaintance of his who has an exemption to grow medical marijuana for personal use has about 60 plants and he is busy tending to the plants all day.
Although B.C.'s marijuana industry is often touted as the province's largest cash crop, Ontario's market is much bigger, estimated at $1 billion a year.
And although police often blame organized crime for running drug production, Rowbotham said only 10 per cent of marijuana growers are affiliated with gangs. He said the Barrie operation was not run by bikers or Vietnamese gangsters.
The stereotypical marijuana grow op is in the basement of a suburban bungalow, where the operation can be contained, away from the prying eyes (and noses) of children, neighbours and mail carriers. But the heat generated in such an operation does lead to one distinguishing characteristic of a cultivator's house: no snow on the roof.
That's why, Rowbotham said, many growers are moving to the country, not to grow their pot outside, but to be less conspicuous to police and to live "off the grid," generating electricity for their operations with gas-powered generators.
I wish that I had thought of this first...
Full article here
CANADA'S LARGEST GROW OPERATION, BY THE NUMBERS
30,000
Estimated number of plants
$30 million
Estimated street value of the plants found
$100 million
Estimated worth of the annual crop, based on four crops a year
1,000
Number of growing lamps
25
Number of beer vats converted to incubation chambers for the seedlings
6,000
Size of the growing facility, in square metres, about half of the entire building
50
Number of people who could be housed in the on-site dormitory
9
Number of people arrested in the raid
The "big box" marijuana growing operation found in the former Molson brewery in Barrie, Ont., was the largest and most sophisticated in Canadian history, police said.
The "factory" was certainly not typical of the estimated 15,000 marijuana operations in Ontario, most of which are in a rural setting, said CBC Radio contributing editor Rosie Rowbotham on Here and Now, the afternoon program on CBC Radio in Toronto.
In many ways, the former brewery was an ideal environment for growing pot, said Rowbotham. Some of the beer vats were converted into incubators for the seedlings, where the temperature and humidity could be control with great precision. The facility had excellent drainage and its tile floors and walls wouldn't be affected by all the water the operation needed.
As well, the facility's ventilation system sucked up the air from the operation and filtered out the telltale smell of the plants and the chemicals used in their cultivation. There were also reports that another company in the building complex would continually roast coffee beans to mask the odour. Police said some businesses that were renting space in the complex were not involved.
Given that Molson only sold the property late in 2001, Rowbotham said the operation had probably been running for less than a year. Although only nine people were arrested in the raid on the Barrie operation, Rowbotham said it was clear that more people were needed to run it. He said an acquaintance of his who has an exemption to grow medical marijuana for personal use has about 60 plants and he is busy tending to the plants all day.
Although B.C.'s marijuana industry is often touted as the province's largest cash crop, Ontario's market is much bigger, estimated at $1 billion a year.
And although police often blame organized crime for running drug production, Rowbotham said only 10 per cent of marijuana growers are affiliated with gangs. He said the Barrie operation was not run by bikers or Vietnamese gangsters.
The stereotypical marijuana grow op is in the basement of a suburban bungalow, where the operation can be contained, away from the prying eyes (and noses) of children, neighbours and mail carriers. But the heat generated in such an operation does lead to one distinguishing characteristic of a cultivator's house: no snow on the roof.
That's why, Rowbotham said, many growers are moving to the country, not to grow their pot outside, but to be less conspicuous to police and to live "off the grid," generating electricity for their operations with gas-powered generators.
