• Under provincial legislation that became effective on August 1, 2006, municipal officials are required to inspect marijuana grow houses once they have been identified and shut down by police

• When police inform a municipality that a property contained a marijuana grow operation, the local municipality is required to ensure that an inspection of the building is conducted within a reasonable time.

• In addition, the municipality is required to take whatever action it is authorized by law to take in order to make the building safe and protect the public. This could include issuing orders under the Building Code.

• Specific procedures and protocols for complying with these obligations may vary according to municipality. For example, under the City of Toronto’s protocol, orders resulting from municipal inspections of a property that contained a grow house may be registered on the title of the property until outstanding issues have been addressed.