How to Spot a Grow House in a Neighborhood

Yes, it's marijuana, right in your neighborhood

A grow house is one set up to grow marijuana inside under lights. No neighborhood wants one of these illegal operations on the street. Criminals can set up a grow house in any neighborhood, even upscale areas. Here's how to figure out if there's a grow house or grow op on your street.

Instructions

1. If you notice unusual wires run from powerlines to the house, it may be a grow house for marijuana.
   Power companies look for homes using excessive amounts of electricity such as a grow house does. To avoid detection of their criminal activities, the grow house is usually wired illegally to the utility lines to avoid the power company notifying the police.
   Listen for the sound of generators. That's another way that grow houses get around the suspicious power companies.

2. 

   Because the lights are on day and night, the windows may be all covered so the neighbors won't notice. Do you have a neighbor that never opens the blinds or curtains? This does not automatically make it a grow house, but could be a possible indicator of illegal activity.

3. Without obviously monitoring their coming and going, note if the people going in and out of the suspected house don't follow the normal routine. Do they never carry groceries into the house? Does it appear that no one really lives in the house? Do people only come to the house for a few minutes or an hour? The people may avoid interacting with the neighbors.
   If they don't seem to have an obvious job schedule, but still drive fancy cars, you might wonder if they have illegal income.

4. 

   Have structural changes been made to the house like bars on the windows or extra air vents? When the work was done on the house, was it done in a surreptitious manner at odd hours or late at night?

5. 

   Does the house and yard seem neglected in general? Is the lawn mowed regularly, the snow removed in winter, and is trash put out at regular intervals? If not, the house may not be actually occupied and just be in use as a grow house.
   If you observe bags of potting soil and fertilizer stacked around and pots, but the yard does not give the appearance of being tended by anyone interested in gardening, then you may wonder what they are up to. It could be raising marijuana illegally.

6. 

   Some grow houses actually have people living in them and they just use one room for growing marijuana or the basement or a shed. These houses may have some of the indicators and not others. Notice if there is a shed or one room of the house that always has lights on. The shed may have hoses running into it or electrical cords or a generator.

7. When the wind is blowing from the direction of the suspected house, notice if there is any obvious smell.

8. 

   Notice if the house has added various security measures, like putting up fencing or keeping a dog in the yard. This may be to guard their criminal operation from outsiders.

Tips & Warnings

• Do not in any way show an obvious interest in the house and its "residents." They certainly won't like a nosey neighbor and could harm you.

• Call the local police and tell them your observations. Don't chat about it with the neighbors as it is quite dangerous. Let the police investigate the situation.

Resources

• How a Grow House Works