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grow operation
DCHP-2 (Nov 2016)
Spelling variants:grow op, grow-op, growop
n. — especially Ontario, Alberta
a marijuana growing facility, usually an illegal one.
Type: 1. Origin — Grow operation is the long form of the more popular grow-op and refers to marijuana growing. Grow-op usually refers to criminal operations either run out of houses in cities (see the 2000 quotation) or larger buildings in rural areas (see the 1992 quotation). Recently, legal grow-ops have been certified by Health Canada. The oldest attestations of grow operation go back to the early 1990s (see the 1992 quotation). The shortened forms grow-op or grow op are the preferred forms today (see Charts 1 & 2, which mark them as Canadian by virtue of frequency as well). Both the long and short forms are most prevalent in Ontario and Alberta (see Chart 3), though British Columbia has been generally associated with marijuana culture and the earliest quotations come from that province. With the legalization of marijuana promised by the federal government - Colorado and Washington State having taken that step earlier in the US - the term is being adopted increasingly for legal operations (see the 2016 quotation). Until then, the term was overwhelmingly used for larger or smaller illegal operations.
See COD-2, which labels the short form "Cdn".
See COD-2, which labels the short form "Cdn".
Quotations
1992
Drummond said the adult driver fled while three juveniles were hauled from the car and arrested. Police then called out tracking dogs from Chilliwack.
"The driver of the vehicle was tracked down. He was hiding in a nearby farm building - and guess what? It was an illegal grow operation," Drummond added.
2000
"We have on average between six and 10 homicides that we know are directly related to the grow operations," said RCMP Chief Superintendent Gary Bass, who heads the force's major crime section for B.C.
"But those are just the ones where the body is basically found at a grow op. There's probably quite a few more. . . ."
2000
The pamphlet notes that unless your neighbours are particularly amorous, heavy condensation on the windows is a good sign of a grow-op.
2005
RCMP had secured the property overnight after a bailiff conducting a routine property seizure for unpaid bills reported finding a marijuana grow operation and vehicle chop shop in the machine shed.
2006
A Vancouver police department spokesman said he did not have access to statistics on the situation. But Constable Tim Fanning said children have turned up at some growops. "When we find kids, we find most if not all of them suffer from respiratory ailments because of the molds that grow in the houses due to the grow-ops," he said. "It's a very risky environment for children because of the potential for growrips," said Const. Fanning, referring to violence when rival operators raid growops.
2012
An Edmonton firefighter busted in an alleged marijuana grow-op in the city's north end last week has been reassigned from active duties, Deputy Chief John Lamb said Wednesday.
2015
A marijuana grow operation on a rural property in Rocky View County near Balzac was brought down by Airdrie Rural RCMP Nov. 5, according to a release issued by Airdrie Rural RCMP Constable Matthew Gervais.
References
- COD-2
Images
Chart 1: Internet Domain Search, 19 Apr. 2016
Chart 2: Internet Domain Search, 14 Aug. 2012
Chart 3: Regional Domain Search, 19 Apr. 2016
