# Innovative New Technology Locates Marijuana Grow Operations



## FruityBud (May 13, 2008)

CALGARY, ALBERTA--(Marketwire - May 13, 2008) - More than $750,000.00worth of potent marijuana plants and approximately 70 pounds ofpackaged marijuana were discovered in Chestermere, Alberta homes,thanks to technology created by Calgary-based dTechs epm Ltd (dTechs).A total of four homes with marijuana grow operations in an area of over900 homes were located with the new dTechs technology used in testingefforts in collaboration with the local utility, the RCMP, and theCalgary Police Service.

dTechs, founded by a former Calgary Police Service Drug Sergeant,announced today that it has completed and tested a specially developedwireless electrical meter suite which detects and reports excessive useof electricity. Excessive electricity use is often coincident withelectricity theft, which in many cases is the result of a marijuanagrow operation along the line.

This is the full system test for the innovative technology, following a'proof of concept' test completed in 2007 with another Utility Company(unnamed due to contractual obligations) where nine marijuana growoperations were located in a residential area of 603 homes.

"We are extremely pleased with our results and after three years ofhard work on this project, we have a great sense of achievement," saidRoger Morrison, President and Founder of dTechs.

Morrison developed the high-resolution wireless primary-metering systemas a result of his policing career, which involved dismantlingmarijuana grow operations. "I became frustrated with the vast number oforganized crime grow operations in Canada and the lack of any proven oreconomical technology to combat them on a large scale," added Morrison.

This recent testing effort involved the monitoring and assessment of alarge area in the Chestermere area. Only nine test points each with thedTechs meter were required to narrow down and close in on the fourmarijuana grow operations; which were previously undetected in a totalof 927 homes.

Electricity theft is estimated to exceed $1 billion per year in Canada,leaving law abiding utility customers to pay for this power. Theimplementation of smarter grid technologies nationwide would result inextensive savings to electrical consumers.

The dTechs Meter Suite is designed to be permanently deployed in orderto fill a gap in electricity distribution monitoring which presentlyexists between the meter on your home and the substation manykilometers of wire away. This new technology would now allow publicutilities companies to accurately and cost-effectively monitor the useof electrical power.

The dTechs Meter Suite can locate stolen power and inefficient powerlines, in addition to providing immediate outage notification and powerforecasting capabilities.

"The overall societal aspects of this technology are endless. It canhelp locate electrical theft, stop marijuana grow operations, andreduce unbilled electricity loss; which will improve the operatingefficiency of public utilities. The impacts related to public safety,organized crime issues and electrical-efficiency potential areunprecedented," said Morrison.

*hxxp://tinyurl.com/5n25x5*


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## IllusionalFate (May 13, 2008)

From the way it's worded, it sounds as if the only way you can get busted as the result of this is if you are stealing electricity.

"...a specially developed wireless electrical meter suite which detects and reports excessive use of electricity. Excessive electricity use is often coincident with electricity theft, which in many cases is the result of a marijuana grow operation along the line."


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## Dubbaman (May 13, 2008)

That sucks if it pics up high use homes and such like that it will make it tons harder to even have a small grow. It will still have flaws though and it will be hard for places to get warrents for any home. I think of all the other things that are off/ not in use while my lights are on but then on while my lights are out, things like coffee maker,toster oven, kids tv,dvd,vcr,game consoles, and cant forget the 1k watt security light i put up out back before i ever started growing. Im sure at some point if Jonny Law decides to use this as a form of narrowing down the possibilitys of a grow op location many non-growers will be outraged for the intrusion of privacy.


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## IllusionalFate (May 14, 2008)

Dubbaman said:
			
		

> Im sure at some point if Jonny Law decides to use this as a form of narrowing down the possibilitys of a grow op location many non-growers will be outraged for the intrusion of privacy.


Which is exactly why I don't think law enforcement officials will do anything if all they see is that the residence is using a lot of electricity. Your house most likely won't even be "scanned" by this technology.

If for some reason they did get a search warrant, if you have your grow room hidden properly you shouldn't get busted. I doubt they would want to go through all that effort when 
most of the owner's of the houses they search have nothing to do with marijuana cultivation at all.


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## Puffin Afatty (May 14, 2008)

FruityBud said:
			
		

> CALGARY, ALBERTA--(Marketwire - May 13, 2008) - More than $750,000.00worth of potent marijuana plants and approximately 70 pounds ofpackaged marijuana were discovered in Chestermere, Alberta homes,thanks to technology created by Calgary-based dTechs epm Ltd (dTechs).A total of four homes with marijuana grow operations in an area of over900 homes were located with the new dTechs technology used in testingefforts in collaboration with the local utility, the RCMP, and theCalgary Police Service.
> 
> dTechs, founded by a former Calgary Police Service Drug Sergeant,announced today that it has completed and tested a specially developedwireless electrical meter suite which detects and reports excessive useof electricity. Excessive electricity use is often coincident withelectricity theft, which in many cases is the result of a marijuanagrow operation along the line.
> 
> ...


 
*Thanks for the news FruityBud!!! 

:hubba: a common element in most of the notorious busts is they STOLE ELECTRICTY..How greedy do these folks gotta be anyway???  charging outrageous prices ($$400 an oz is robbery) for a plant and then having the nerve to STEAL from the very hand that feeds them.  Commercial growers are in it for the $$, making it very bad for anyone else who wants to grow their own.  I guess, until it's legal for the rest of US, Criminals will be criminals*


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## Timmyjg6 (May 14, 2008)

Crazy, but im not scared.... Bring it!


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## godspeedsuckah (May 14, 2008)

Scary, but so is everything else in the world if you want it to be.


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## Dubbaman (May 14, 2008)

Even if oyu look past the issue that these guys are seaking out electric theft and finding grow ops the article says that it can focus on high use homes. and that right there is an invasion IMO, hell i think of all the networked computers i have for my gaming nights most have 400W power supplies on them and there is 15 puters linked you cant say that would go un-noticed.


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## The Effen Gee (May 14, 2008)

STOP STEALING POWER!!!!

Geez....Some folks really make the rest of us look bad huh?


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## bombbudpuffa (May 14, 2008)

Yep. I just want to smoke it. I'll be darned if I sell my hard grown buds. "_IT'S MINE...ALL MINE, I TELL YOU!_"


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## IllusionalFate (May 14, 2008)

Puffin Afatty said:
			
		

> *Thanks for the news FruityBud!!!
> 
> :hubba: a common element in most of the notorious busts is they STOLE ELECTRICTY..How greedy do these folks gotta be anyway???  charging outrageous prices ($$400 an oz is robbery) for a plant and then having the nerve to STEAL from the very hand that feeds them.  Commercial growers are in it for the $$, making it very bad for anyone else who wants to grow their own.  I guess, until it's legal for the rest of US, Criminals will be criminals*


Right now, those who grow commercially and those who only have a couple plants for personal use are BOTH criminals. If someone doesn't want to pay $400 an ounce, they don't have to buy it! It's quite simple, really.


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## smokybear (May 14, 2008)

Stealing electricity once again. Stupid people. Glad it's them getting caught and not me! Fools. Just my thoughts. Thanks FruityBud. Take care and be safe.


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