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Nice home in a gated community, privacy fence, oversized a/c unit—these are normal attributes of many upscale communities. But behind closed doors? Mold, electrical hazards, structural damage, pesticides and other dangers lurk. Marijuana grow houses are popping up in big cities and small towns, wealthy and low-income neighborhoods across the country—the problem is no longer limited to California and Florida. Home buyers and sellers, landlords and agents, neighbors and community leaders can learn how to spot, fix, and understand the impact of marijuana grow houses in this field guide.
Spotting Grow Houses: Red Flags
Here are the telltale signs of homes that have gone to pot, (The Orlando Sentinel, Oct. 18, 2009).
Marijuana, Inc.: Inside America's Pot Industry, (CNBC.com, July 16, 2009).
TECO: Pot grow houses steal about $1 million a year in electricity, (The Tampa Tribune, May 22, 2009).
Grow ops: what REALTORS® need to know, (The Canadian Real Estate Association, Dec. 2004).
Marijuana home grow operations, (Niagara Regional Police Service, Ontario).
Marijuana grow house indicators, (Halton Regional Police Service, Ontario).
Reinhabiting Grow Houses
Buyer beware: renovated marijuana grow houses can cost money and good health, (Ottowa Public Health Examiner, Dec. 9, 2009).
Home to sprout from grow house, (Tampa Tribune, Sept. 3, 2009).
A growing solution, (Tampa Bay Online—The Pasco Tribune, Dec. 28, 2008).
Can grow houses be inhabited again, (Tampa Bay Online—Highlands Today, June 24, 2007).
Impact of Grow Houses
Renters turn home into marijuana farm, (Florida Today, Jan. 10, 2010).
White paper on marijuana dispensaries, (California Police Chiefs Association, 2009).
A growing problem with marijuana, (Tampa Tribune, May 25, 2009).
Marijuana grow houses: Florida's silently growing epidemic, by Lt. Dale Ritchhart, Charlotte County Sheriff's Office Narcotics Unit
Photo Gallery: Inside a Grow House
Inside a grow house raid, (Denver Westworld Slideshows, Oct. 13, 2009).
eBooks & Other Resources
eBooks.realtor.org
The following ebooks and digital audiobooks are available to NAR members:
American Landlord Law (Adobe eReader)
The Complete Landlord.com Ultimate Landlord Handbook (Adobe eReader)
Every Landlord's Legal Guide (Adobe eReader)
What Every Landlord Needs to Know (Adobe eReader)
Field Guides & More
These field guides and other resources in the Virtual Library may also be of interest:
Field Guide to Dealing with Stigmatized Properties
Field Guide to Mold & Health Issues
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The inclusion of links on this field guide does not imply endorsement by the National Association of REALTORS®. NAR makes no representations about whether the content of any external sites which may be linked in this field guide complies with state or federal laws or regulations or with applicable NAR policies. These links are provided for your convenience only and you rely on them at your own risk.