Scott Hammond, of Solar Greenhouse and Garden Supply, says proposed legislation to limit the sale of hydroponic garden supplies would hurt businesses like his while doing little to deter illegal grow ops.
By Leslie DicksonNewsLeader
Sep 19 2007
Burnaby store rejects strategy, defends legal uses
A recent proposal to restrict the sale of hydroponics equipment as a way of deterring marijuana grow operations is getting lukewarm support in Burnaby.
Last week, Surrey council passed a motion to request the provincial government enact legislation limiting the sale of hydroponics equipment which can be used to grow marijuana at the Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM) annual convention in Vancouver next week.
Hydroponics, a non-soil method of growing plants, requires the use of water pumps, tubes, trays and nutrient supplements sold in most garden supply and home improvement stores.
The motion asks that such equipment only be sold to licensed retailers and buyers have a valid electrical permit to purchase it.
A recent Surrey city staff report cites research that states B.C. has 50 times the number of stores that sell hydroponics equipment compared to Washington and 30 times the number in Alberta, and the number of stores selling hydroponics equipment in B.C. increased by 50 per cent between 2000 and 2004. The report also states hydroponics equipment discovered in marijuana grow-ops tends to be poorly installed, increasing the risk of fires.
Burnaby Mayor Derek Corrigan gave qualified support to Surrey’s motion.
“It’s very supportable to look at how to deal with hydroponic equipment,” said Corrigan.
The mayor pointed to the success of other bylaws that have restricted the sale of substances used for illegal purposes, including spray cans used for graffiti.
But Corrigan added legislation limiting the sale of hydroponics equipment would only obstruct, not eliminate grow-ops, and would not address operators who pass the tools on to others in the illegal trade.
And he said there remain many legal uses for the equipment, including the growing of vegetables.
“I think that all of us are concerned about restrictions that could prevent honest citizens from purchasing it for legitimate purposes,” Corrigan added.
Corrigan said it was also difficult to predict how the B.C. government would respond to the motion, noting Burnaby’s motion to restrict the sale of chemicals used to make methamphetamines during the UBCM annual meeting a few years ago was not acted upon by Victoria.
Scott Hammond, manager of Solar Greenhouse and Garden Supply on Imperial Street which sells hydroponics equipment, rejected Surrey’s motion outright.
“I don’t think there’s any basis in targeting hydroponics at all,” said Hammond.
Hammond said it unfairly pigeonholes the growing method, and doesn’t recognize widespread use of hydroponics to grow orchids and vegetables, both at home and on a larger scale in industrial greenhouses.
Hammond also questioned how many grow-ops actually use hydroponics, judging by the footage he has seen of police busting operations.
“When you watch the media and see plants being hauled out of houses, you don’t see hydroponics, you see plants in soil,” said Hammond.
Hammond said Solar Greenhouse, which has been in business for 25 years, doesn’t knowingly sell equipment to people for grow-op purposes.
“If we believe anybody is engaging in any criminal activities, we don’t deal with them,” said Hammond.
mario bartel/newsleader
MARIO BARTEL/NEWSLEADER
Scott Hammond, of Solar Greenhouse and Garden Supply, says proposed legislation to limit the sale of hydroponic garden supplies would hurt businesses like his while doing little to deter illegal grow ops.
ASIA FILE Barun Roy / New Delhi September 13, 2007
Singapore and Kuala Lumpur have ambitious greening programmes, and now even China is following suit.
Having devoted over 40 years of planning and hard work to establish its reputation as one of the world’s best-kept garden cities, Singapore is taking a quantum leap to try and become its greenest urban landscape — top to bottom, literally.
Hydroponics & The Law 
