Pot lights give ham radio operators a buzz

[Static_Mantra]

AUGUSTA, Maine – Ham radio operators say their frequencies are increasingly getting a harsh buzz from a component of the indoor lamps used to grow pot.

The American Radio Relay League has been filing complaints with the Federal Communications Commission over the past several years and wants federal regulators to halt the marketing and sale of illegal grow light ballasts.

Ballasts regulate electrical currents in lights and can disrupt radio frequencies. But ham radio operators say decriminalization of marijuana in states like Colorado has led to more large high-power grow lights in residential areas.

In Maine, retired Coast Guard officer Roger Johnson claims his amateur radio has twice been disrupted by nearby marijuana growers. He wants the state to step in, but other ham radio operators say the federal government should do its job.

http://www.news1130.com/2017/02/27/growing-problem-pot-lights-give-ham-radio-operators-a-buzz/

[John Poet]

Just one more good argument for full legalization! 
If it wasn't illegal, the indoor growing and thus the noisy lights would be much less necessary.

The criminalization and demonization of pot makes no sense whatsoever, while alcohol, which has been much more expensive and damaging to society, gets the full blessing of the federal government...

[MDK2]

Just one more good argument for full legalization!  
If it wasn't illegal, the indoor growing and thus the noisy lights would be much less necessary.

The criminalization and demonization of pot makes no sense whatsoever, while alcohol, which has been much more expensive and damaging to society, gets the full blessing of the federal government...

I'm not so sure. Here in Colorado, where we've had legal pot for a few years, most of the growing still takes place indoors. In fact, the demand for warehouse space for such operations is so great that Mile High Comics, who had a HUGE treasure trove of comic books from all publishers and eras, couldn't resist and sold off most of their stock in order to sell their warehouse for some enormous sum. Now, partly this can be explained by Colorado's less than ideal climate for growing. However, indoor operations produce such high quality marijuana, kept safe from all the vagaries of unpredictable weather, that this is the preferred way to go in other, more farm-friendly climes where they have also legalized it. So if Trump is smart enough to reign in Sessions, who wants to go full-Meese here, I wouldn't expect anything but a proliferation of grow-light noise as legalization spreads.

[ChrisSmolinski]

Yes, I'd expect more QRM, not less, due to increased indoor growing as MDK2 mentioned.

On a related note, so far I have been lucky with the neighbors that have installed solar panels not causing QRM, but I know of others that have not been so fortunate.

[kcpr]

The noise seems to come from cheap ballasts for the hi pressure sodium and metal halide bulbs hopefully with the prices for LED grow lights dropping rapidly more growers will be switching to them they seem to be relatively noise free and more energy effiecient

[Josh]

I'm torn between despising a government that tells one what they can or can't do with their own body, and the thought of a few hundred thousand more inebriated people driving, working, etc etc.

[MDK2]

I'm torn between despising a government that tells one what they can or can't do with their own body, and the thought of a few hundred thousand more inebriated people driving, working, etc etc.

For what it's worth, usage never goes up in any statistically meaningful way upon legalization. (Studies that claim otherwise come from interested prohibition groups using small data sets.) Also, there have been no reports I've seen in local media, nor statements from local law enforcement, of increased pot DUI citations. It doesn't mean that there's not more going on, but after three+ years you'd think that there would be more measurable impact.

[Josh]

I can't see the need for warehouses to grow dope in if the market was already well fed.