TORONTO - As a new law took effect this week giving police, municipalities and electricity companies more power to crack down on marijuana grow houses, Ontario's community safety minister said he's considering a central database of homes once used to make drugs.

Monte Kwinter said that he's looking into creating a provincewide registry of residences that have been grow-ops or meth labs so potential buyers can have inspectors look for mould and electrical or structural damage.

"We want to make sure that nobody unsuspectingly buys a house that's had the structure compromised because of a grow-op," said Kwinter.

Currently, homes that were used to grow marijuana can be sold without anyone being told about their history.

Marijuana grow houses are typically filled with mould and have faulty electrical wiring because circuits are tampered with as growers bypass metres measuring power consumption. Meth labs can leave homes with chemical contamination.

The registry would let buyers double check that "the property is suitable for habitation," said Kwinter, speaking from Ottawa where he marked the start of new provisions against grow-ops at a training camp for emergency personnel.

As of Aug. 1, city officials became responsible for inspecting properties that police identify as grow houses and order repairs if the property is deemed unsafe.

A landlord or owner won't be able to sell the house or occupy it unless the work is done.

Talk of a registry was welcomed by real estate agents.

"It would be very beneficial to us," said Dorothy Mason, president of the Toronto Real Estate Board which represents 24,000 realtors.

Grow houses have become a problem for realtors, who have no way of confirming for clients whether their dream home was once used to grow pot, said Mason.

"It's hard to go on neighbours who say 'We think it was a grow house,' " she said. "As an agent you're going Was it? Wasn't it? How can I find this out?' You can't base it on hearsay and maybes."

Mason acknowledged that while a house known as a former grow-op could fetch a lower selling price, the Aug. 1 provisions make sure houses are fixed before being sold to unsuspecting people.

"It's a step in the right direction," she said. "At least you know for sure (it's been remedied)."

Kwinter wouldn't specify a time frame for the registry's launch saying only that ministry officials are evaluating how the registry would work.

"I've had conversations as recently as last week on this issue, and we're progressing along the way," he said.

The law, parts of which first went into effect last year, allows hydro companies to cut off power to a house for the sake of safety or system reliability. It allows the government to seize the proceeds from grow operations for crime prevention and victim compensation. The maximum penalties have also been doubled for fire hazards caused by the poor wiring.

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RECENT LOCAL BUSTS

- July 19, 2006 - A house at 15240 Scott Line in Muirkirk was the location of one of Chatham-Kent's largest marijuana-grow operations. A search of the house turned up 1,441 marijuana plants with an estimated street value of $1.4 million.

- May 18, 2006 - A Windsor man's home in the 500 block of Watkins Street was the location of a large grow-op with more than 400 marijuana plants. Police estimated the value of the drugs at $498,000.

- Apr. 7, 2005 - Windsor police raided an east-end home and busted a marijuana grow-op worth more than $400,000. Police discovered 355 marijuana plants growing at 3076 Brimley Cres. and 946 grams of loose marijuana.

- Apr. 4, 2005 - Windsor police raided the basement of a home in the 5000 block of Colbourne Drive and discovered 316 marijuana plants worth an estimated street value of $353,920.

- Nov. 22, 2005 - Windsor police arrested a local man after uncovering a marijuana-growing operation totalling about $390,000 in street value in the 400 block of Curry Avenue.