Cannabis cultivation

What is cannabis cultivation?

‘Cannabis cultivation’ refers to the practice and process of producing cannabis flowers.

Cannabis farms are very dangerous places and pose a serious risk of fire. Often the electricity meter has been bypassed and overloaded electrical circuits run close to water-filled pipes. Plants grown upstairs in a building can also cause floorboards to rot, presenting the danger of collapse.

At Crimestoppers we feel passionately about tackling drug crime, and we want to help you learn how to spot when and where cannabis cultivation is going on, so that you can give us crucial information, 100% anonymously. Together, we can help to limit the activity of drug cultivation and the detrimental effects, misery and harm that illegal drugs bring.

Learn the signs to spot, and tell us what you know...

A powerful distinctive sweet, sickly aroma
Frequent visitors throughout the day and night
Blacked out windows, or vents sealed/blocked to prevent the heat and smell of cannabis from inside the property escaping
Chinks of bright light throughout the night
Birds gathering on the roof, particularly in cold weather
In winter, snow melting unusually quickly on the roof
High levels of condensation on windows
Noise from fans
Large amounts of rubbish, including compost bags
Electricity meter being tampered with/altered and new cabling, sometimes leading to street lighting.

Poor or no references from a previous letting agent
Offering to pay several months in advance
Preference to pay rent in cash without reasonable cause
Wanting to keep the utility bills in a landlord’s name
Asking for complete privacy, requesting no periodic inspections or preventing the inspection of the property even when given reasonable notice
Changing locks to keep landlords and agents away from a property.

In addition, it's also important to consider that sometimes the people working in the ‘farms’ are victims of human trafficking, and working against their will.

Do you have information? Call us anonymously on 0800 555 111 or fill in our online form:

Give information anonymously

Complete peace of mind

Your computer's IP addresses are never traced and no-one will ever know you contacted us. For telephone calls, we have no caller line display, no 1471 facility and have never traced a call.

Our anonymity guarantee

28 January 2025