Legal marijuana grow-op outrages Prospect Bay neighbours

A marijuana grow operation in a Prospect Bay, N.S. neighbourhood has some who live in the area outraged the police cant lay charges.

Despite months of complaints for neighbours, RCMP say the grow-op is legal and theres not a lot they can do about it.

One of the owners of the house told CBC News she rents it to someone with a legal, Health Canada permit to use and grow marijuana.

Neighbour Jean Lalancette said he wants it shut down.

"I don't like that there's the humming in the background constantly, said Lalancette. The smell of skunk cabbage in the area gets strong on some nights when the wind is nice and soft and low. I worry about the safety in our neighbourhood."

Neighbours say the property is well maintained. The grass is always trimmed.

Paul Marriott frequently strolls through the subdivision. He said he doesn't want a grow op -- even a legal one -- near his home. He said hes worried about children in the neighbourhood.

The kids, there are so many kids in this subdivision. [Having to] grow up here among that stuff? It shouldn't be," said Marriott.

Bruce Pretty is the Progressive Conservative contender for Timberlea-Prospect and lives very close by.

Like others in the area, he worries about the value of his property.

"Most of us here have been here for a long time and we've enjoyed living here and you know anytime that you bring a vice into a community, you know it makes some problems for everybody," said Pretty.

Health Canada said with the permits, licensed medicinal marijuana growers can grow as many as 50 plants -- too many for some in the Prospect Bay neighbourhood and it seems too many for the federal government.

The federal government will introduce a new law in April of 2014 that will outlaw all private marijuana grow operations.