The production of marihuana is a criminal activity that is very profitable for offenders and harmful to communities (Plecas, Diplock, & Garis, 2009). Growers in British Columbia commonly set up their operations indoors, in homes, and other buildings to avoid detection and to cultivate plants year round. Moreover, indoor buildings allow growers the opportunity to set up large and increasingly sophisticated operations that provide greater control over the growing process than can be generally maintained outdoors. These indoor operations are set up with the intention of making commercial profit, referred to as ‘commercially viable growing operations’ typically use large amounts of electricity to power high-wattage bulbs used for growing, along with other equipment. Along with the enormous consumption of electricity from the thousands of marihuana growing operations in British Columbia comes a myriad of serious problems that affect all British Columbians.
Centre for Public Safety and Criminal Justice Research
