New campaign to weed out Derbyshire cannabis farms

Derbyshire Constabulary is hoping to weed out cannabis farms that could have been set up in neighbourhoods.

Steve Holme, who is the force’s leading expert on drugs in Derbyshire, said: “Growing cannabis is a major way of making profit for organised crime groups, there’s people trafficking involved and people use cannabis as a cash generator for which they can then buy cocaine and heroin.”

There are many telltale signs of a cannabis farm, including: a strong and sickly sweet smell; equipment such as lights, fertiliser and cables being moved into or out of a property; constantly covered windows; visitors at unsociable hours and few sightings of the occupants; strong and constant lighting throughout the day and night; high levels of heat and condensation; and the constant buzz of ventilation.