Neighbours at risk as cannabis growers hook up elaborate hydroponic systems and manipulate power supply Police say hydroponic cannabis growers are trying to bypass electricity metres and putting community safety at risk. RACKS of power boards and a tangle of cords stretch from the floor to the ceiling. This is the heart of a multi-million-dollar hydroponic cannabis crop in suburban Queensland. Police say 20 hydroponic set-ups are now being found a month as growers head indoors to avoid detection and to continue production year-round. Detective Inspector Michael Trezise said elaborate electrical work discovered in some of the homes put unsuspecting neighbours at risk. "Hydroponic cannabis requires large quantities of electricity," Insp Trezise, from the state drug squad, said. Some offenders have manipulated the power supply, which is quite dangerous to both themselves and the community. They try to bypass the metres, which is particularly dangerous. In one case this year a Brisbane electrician was charged after 450 cannabis plants were found in eight rooms of his Forestdale house and an adjoining granny flat. The electrician had wired the home to bypass the electricity meter to avoid detection. Police discoveries have ranged from whole homes converted for cannabis production, to smaller operations with a handful of plants. "Figures indicate that across the state on average, 20 hydroponic cannabis crops are located and seized each month," Insp Trezise said. The size and sophistication of the set-ups vary. Some were large and contained 100-plus plants. Some were small and contained a few plants. They were at varying stages of development. The sophisticated indoor set-ups supply a booming demand for cannabis, which remains the nation's most widely used illicit drug. Cannabis use in Australia per capita is among the highest in the world and a new study this week found the potency is soaring. Researchers found a THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) concentration of almost 15 per cent on average in seized cannabis. It was the first Australian research of its kind, but one US study 20 years ago found THC levels of just 3.4 per cent. High THC levels are associated with increased mental health problems. Tests also showed seized cannabis had only minuscule levels of cannabidiol, a part of the drug thought to counter some of the negative effects of THC and have some therapeutic effect. Study author Wendy Swift said no difference was found between the potency of cannabis grown indoors or outdoors. "The large-scale producers are probably just in it for money," said Dr Swift, from the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre at the University of New South Wales. What seems to be popular in the market are the strains that have high THC. Indicators of a cannabis hydro house House, unit or shed vacant or unused Unqualified persons interfering with the electrical mains Windows blacked out Normal access areas sealed Discarded expandable air ducting Hoses running into the dwelling Large amounts of electrical wiring hanging from ceiling or taped to the ground inside or outside the dwelling Discarded fertiliser containers and plant pots