BANGOR, Maine — 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.
The nonprofit Electronic Privacy Information Center believes such a regulatory rule would be unconstitutional because the electric utility would be allowed to provide private information about consumers with “no probable cause, no warrant, no judicial review," Alan Butler, the group’s executive director, told The Associated Press.
The Maine utility regulatory proceeding comes as law enforcement officials target marijuana grow operations in which rural homes are purchased, gutted and transformed into sophisticated, high-yield indoor farms.The common denominator is that criminals appear to be taking advantage of laws legalizing marijuana in an attempt to fly under the radar to produce marijuana that’s sold in states where cannabis is illegal.
In Somerset County, Sheriff Dale Lancaster, whose deputies have executed search warrants on 21 marijuana operations, said law enforcement works best with community support, and he described Versant’s proposal as a “good first step." Mark Morisette from Central Maine Power said it “seems like an eerie line to even consider crossing” and backed his call for caution with an example of a 100-fold increase in electricity consumption after a flood, which necessitated temporary heaters and fans to dry it out.
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