The Ontario Provincial Police Drug Enforcement Section is advising the public that they should be alert during the summer months to outdoor marijuana grow operations.
During the summer months every year, persons involved in growing marijuana head into rural areas to tend to crops of marijuana plants, in some cases very large ones. Typically these illicit crops are located in areas such as:
- Swamps
- Corn Fields
- Wooded areas
- Along Rivers
- Rural rental properties with large acreages
Marijuana plants are bright green in colour. The leaves have seven jagged fingers and plants grow between three and five feet tall, with an odour similar to that of a skunk.
Common Indicators of Outdoor Marijuana Grows:
1. Abandoned vehicles parked on side roads or trails
2. People observed walking in remote areas for no apparent reason
3. Bags of fertilizer, planting trays or chemicals located in remote areas
4. Well trampled trails in wooded or swamp areas
5. Cleared out areas in swamps, wooded areas or corn fields
6. Numerous signs appear out of nowhere indicating "No Trespassing."
Typically, marijuana crops will be harvested as early as late August up to the beginning of October.
What to do if you discover an outdoor marijuana operation:
1. Call your local police or Crime Stoppers as soon as possible if you suspect or locate a marijuana grow operation
2. Do not touch the marijuana plants due to possible chemicals on the plants
3. If confronted by a marijuana grower, do not confront, immediately leave the area.
4. If possible, record any licence plates and notify police.
5. Be aware that in some cases outdoor marijuana grows are guarded or protected by booby traps; if discovered do not enter the grow location, turn around and immediately leave the area the same way you came in.
The Ontario Provincial Police Drug Enforcement Section will once again be out in full force this summer searching for and eradicating marijuana grow operations.
Contact the Ontario Provincial Police at 1-888-310-1122, on cellular at(*)OPP or Crime Stoppers: 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
