A Maine utility wants to be an ally with law enforcement in the crackdown on illegal marijuana grow operations — if it can overcome privacy concerns.

Operators of illegal marijuana grow enterprises hidden inside rural homes in Maine don’t have to worry much about prying neighbors. But their staggering electric bills may give rise to a new snitch.

An electric utility made an unusual proposal to help law enforcement target these illicit operations, which are being investigated for ties to transnational crime. Critics, however, worry the move would violate customers’ privacy.

More than a dozen states that legalized marijuana have seen a spike in illegal marijuana grow operations that utilize massive amounts of electricity. And Maine’s Versant Power has been receiving subpoenas — sometimes for 50 locations at a time — from law enforcement, said Arrian Myrick-Stockdell, corporate counsel. It’d be far more efficient, he suggested to utility regulators, to flip the script and allow electric utilities to report their suspicions to law enforcement.

  • Flying Squid
    9•1 month ago

    Imagine if you could avoid all of this trouble by just legally growing it outside…

    • @ccunning
      5•1 month ago

      I’m not sure Maine has the right climate to grow cannabis outdoors

      • Flying Squid
        11•1 month ago

        Why not? Cannabis originally grew on mountain ranges in the Hindu Kush region of India.

        • @ccunning
          5•1 month ago

          Far from an expert but I thought the natural light cycle would be wrong at that latitude.

          • @[email protected]
            5•1 month ago

            You just have to grow a fast flowering strain or an auto flower. It’s almost harder to grow where it’s warm and humid because of bud rot and mildew.

            • @ccunning
              7•1 month ago

              Maine isn’t that much further north than the Hindu Kush.

              That didn’t sound right so I looked it up. It’s approximately the same latitudinal range as North and South Carolina. That’s a huge difference on a USDA Zone map so not sure I agree…

              Also, hemp is already being farmed outdoors in Maine

              …but if it works it works.

              Edit: Just realized this was a hemp farm. I think the light cycle requirements are for good flower development, so I’m not really sure this changes my point after all…