Druggie’s excuse for growing own pot dismissed
A Laidley man made an interesting admission in court that landed him a hefty fine. DETAILS
Gatton
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ISAAC Collins told the Gatton Magistrates Court last Monday he would rather produce a dangerous drug than spend hundreds of dollars buying it from someone else, after he was charged with four offences.
Collins pleaded guilty to four charges on Monday November 30, including unlawfully producing cannabis, unlawfully possessing cannabis, possessing a water pipe and possessing lamps, fans and chemicals use for producing cannabis.
Collins tried to defend his actions, telling Magistrate Graham Lee he suffered from anxiety, depression, PTSD and had suicidal tendencies.
Police Prosecutor senior Sergeant Al Windsor said police raided Collins’ home on November 12, and located in a cupboard four cannabis plants, all approximately five centimetres in height, heat lamps and three bottles of chemicals.
Sergeant Windsor said the soil the plants were growing in was wet, and the plants appeared to be well tendered.
Police also located a water pipe on the kitchen bench along with an electric grinder and other paraphernalia.
Police also located a “grow tent” in a cupboard which contained heat lights, electric fans and more chemical bottles, Sergeant Windsor said.
Collins represented himself in court and admitted to the magistrate that he was growing the marijuana plants for his personal use, highlighting his mental health issues.
“I thought instead of blowing hundreds of dollars buying it from someone else I would just grow it myself,” Collins said as he scoffed.
Magistrate Lee displayed no sympathy towards Collins’ admission to suffering from mental health conditions, having provided no evidence that he did so and sentenced the unemployed student to a hefty fine.
Mr Lee said producing a dangerous drug was a far more serious matter than possession.
Collins was given a global fine of $1000.
No conviction was recorded.
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