What Is The Punishment For Having A Grow House?

The punishment for having a grow house depends on the offender's role in the operation. The police will try to find out if the offender was directly involved in such an operation or if they were under the influence or pressured by others. In addition, the police will look if they were using a legitimate business to cover the growth operation or if the production was carried out for financial gains.

A significant role in the operation, like in the middle management role in the business where one is pressuring others to participate in the operation and perform related roles, can lead to greater punishment if the offence is proved, at the same time, as someone may be into a lesser role where they could be engaged by coercion or intimidation into illegal activities like those who are illegal immigrants may be working under the exploitative condition in a hidden grow house where they may be into a lesser role, may result in lesser punishment.

The cultivation, production and processing of cannabis are considered an offence which means depending on the type of offence; one may have to appear in the Magistrates' Court, where the maximum custodial for such an offence can be up to 12 months, or you could be sent to the Crown Court and the maximum sentence one could get from the Crown Court is 14 years imprisonment.

The normal sentence varies from a discharge to 10 years imprisonment. While determining the appropriate sentence, the court will look at the culpability of the offender and the harm caused by the growing operation.

The assessment of the damage caused by the cultivation of such plants as a part of the operation depends on factors like the number of plants cultivated or the quantity produced for commercial use.

So if someone is held for any such crime, the prosecution must prove the person was responsible for producing the controlled drug at their place, the accused was connected to the production/cultivation process, or the accused knew that they were cultivating a controlled drug.

The common defences used by people to avoid any legal actions are – the accused claims they do not know about the involvement in the production, the accused claims they did not know that a drug was being produced, and they did not know the drug was a controlled drug.

In addition, the person cultivating such cannabis may claim he had lawful authority to carry out the cultivation or claim that they were coerced to do the work. 

The penalties imposed are charged under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, where the maximum sentence can go up to 14 years, and the sentence for production can be up to six months or a fine or both.

Those into grow operations with over 50 plants, and if it is proved that the offender has a key role in such operation, can be sentenced to a minimum of eight years.

However, for those with minor roles in such operations where they use only two plants for domestic use, the worst you can get is custodial for one year, and at the minimum, you may be asked to pay a fine and be discharged.

How To Get Rid Of A Grow House In Your Neighbourhood UK? 

Cannabis crops take around three months to grow, and in their final weeks, they reportedly have a strong smell. As a result, most cannabis-growing houses are busted by local people getting a strong whiff and reporting it to the police.

You should know the steps to keep your neighbourhood safe by identifying and preventing serious organised crime by criminal gangs in your area. If you see any suspicious activity in your neighbourhood, you must notify the local police, but you should not go directly to interact with people living in the house as it may be risky.

Risks associated with regular exposure to cannabis include mould, spores and fungus. In addition, people living in the surroundings with any respiratory illness could be adversely affected. Also, you should avoid interacting with those involved in such activities as they may be into other such unlawful activities.  

If you suspect a grow house, the best way to handle it is to contact Stay Energy Safe or call the related government department to explain the situation. In addition, you can call anonymously to the police to inform them about the activities in the neighbourhood.

However, criminal gangs often set up such houses, and it can be dangerous for a common person to risk his / his family's life, so one should not go there.

You can face health issues if you enter such a house and stay in a grow house for more than 24 hours. Also, elderly residents need to be aware of health issues caused by proximity to such an environment.

Government agencies identify many such premises through their intelligence teams working to uncover the cannabis factories, and they often rely on tip-offs from a member of the public or local police informants.

They may suspect a house when they research on the internet through a cybercrime handling team where they identify online activities like payments made online and the sale and data related to the cultivation of such plants.

Sometimes such houses are discovered when a fire breaks out at the premises, which happens when the producers bypass the electricity and gas meter limits or use the utilities illegally without paying for them.

How Do I Report A Suspected Grow House?

If you find any such cultivation in the neighbourhood, you should find the correct procedure to inform the police. The police are responsible for identifying such homes, and they mostly get information by letting agents who may know when someone uses cannabis cultivation for illegal activities. 

Neighbours may suspect such activities when they find high utility usages like water and electricity and use of dehumidifiers, heaters, hydroponic systems and other such tools which are used for cultivation of such plants as the best plant growth atmosphere, cannabis needs an environment similar to a greenhouse, and this can cause a lot of condensation.

In addition, you may hear a lot of ventilation noise as it requires good airflow, often provided by an industrial fan.

You should avoid going to the premises to find out about it as it can interfere with your metabolism. There is a possibility that the grow house is growing on you and that you are trying to digest a certain type of food that you've never really been able to digest before.

Keep a food consumption diary to see if you have any metabolic issues, and try to avoid exposure to such drugs. Clean out your home. Do you notice any mould and mildew? Clean your home thoroughly, especially if you notice excessive dust. 

How Do Police Detect Grow Rooms?

A typical grow house often has blacked-out windows with "beware of dog" signs posted for visitors, suspicious packages are frequently delivered to such houses, and one can notice the snow-free roofs (due to high internal temperatures) and unusual living conditions.

Such homes may appear isolated and crime-prone where neighbours never see anyone bring groceries, or they may see people entering the house secretly. They may keep the windows dark to make it look like the house is unoccupied, but having windows blocked up with panelling or sheeting indicates there's something they don't want the neighbours to see.

Neighbours can suspect it due to the strong smell coming from the premises. Nobody may be seen in the house, but one may hear fans, electrical lights, and other sounds. Many tenants in such a business try to bypass the electricity meter, as the bills are too high.

Instead, they may request the landlord accept rent privately in an isolated area away from the house. The humidity level in the house makes the windows fogged over though such plants emit heat or infrared radiations, which certain devices can track. 

Law enforcement checks the "trash," where officers go through a house's trash cans looking for raw marijuana plants. Furthermore, police teams may use infrared cameras and helicopters to detect it.   

Their cameras can trace the surface heat, showing bright yellow instead of white. They can search the apartment only when they have a warrant, but customs officers may not require such documents and can search without them. 

Depending on the size of the growth, a major increase in utility usage can lead to a red flag where the police may try to ensure that whatever you cultivate is within legal limits.

Why Would Anyone Grow Such Plants In Their House? How Can The Police Find Grow Houses In England And Wales?

It can be a good idea if you are looking to do home business and are thinking about growing plants. You can sell plants for profits, but you cannot grow or sell plants prohibited by local laws. If you are considering using such plants to help you with your home business, you need to know what is legally allowed. 

In some cities, the police have special teams to work undercover and look for people dealing with illegal substances. They use technologically advanced tracking systems to catch such illegal drug cultivators and sellers, so one should be careful.

If you have a house in England or Wales and are looking for a tenant, you should ensure to offer your home to people who are not into such illegal activities.