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grow rip
< grow + rip-off
DCHP-2 (Aug 2012)
Spelling variants:growrip, grow-rip
n. — British Columbia
the robbery of an illegal marijuana growing operation.
Type: 1. Origin — The term grow rip refers to theft from an illegal marijuana grow operation. Grow rip operations usually occur at houses of competing traffickers (see the 2010 quotation) and are notably violent (see the 2002 and 2006 quotations). The term derives from the slang term for theft, where rivals "rip off" their competitors (see the 2007 quotation) and is formed in analogy to "grow-op", the abbreviated form of grow operation. The term is most frequently used in BC (see Chart 1).
See: grow operation
Quotations
2002
The charges stemmed from an incident last Thursday in which two men reported an alleged extortion, assault and confinement in Pitt Meadows.
It was alleged to be a payback for a "grow rip" -- the theft of a marijuana growing operation -- late last year in Coquitlam, said Constable Tim Shields of the Surrey RCMP.
2004
While police had stressed earlier that the attack was not a "grow rip" where robbers steal the crop and cash from a marijuana grow operation, they now acknowledge the attack centred around drugs. "It wasn't a grow rip, but it was drug-related," said Conrod. He said harder narcotics such as crack cocaine were involved.
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.
2007
Although police always rate marijuana grow operations as important, the recent focus on taking them down was sparked by three violent home invasions in Mission last week, which RCMP believe were linked to pot growing operations.
"In the Lower Mainland and Mission, we often get criminals who are opportunistic," said E Division spokesman Cpl. Pierre Lemaitre, who was in Mission Friday.
"These criminals will try to do grow rips [marijuana grow operation rip-offs] and more often than not, they get the wrong address."
2010
"Indoor marijuana grow operations can be very hazardous. Depending on the scale of the operation, dangers can range from fire and toxic chemical exposure to bringing the potential for violence due to a 'grow rip,' or the theft of plants by competing traffickers or organized crime," she said. "You don't want that in your community. Keeping marijuana off the streets and away from our young people will help to make New Brunswick safer."
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