Two men caught with 49kg of marijuana in Mary Valley

Two Sunshine Coast men have been sentenced for their role in running a sophisticated hydroponic set-up on a rural Gympie region property.

Two Sunshine Coast men will spend the next several months in jail after being caught growing almost 400 marijuana plants on a Mary Valley property.

Eumundi's Steven John Douglas Best and Cooroy's Stephen John Halpin were sentenced in Brisbane District Court on Wednesday.

The pair had last week faced a Gympie court where they pleaded guilty to multiple charges related to a sophisticated hydroponic set-up they established at Carters Ridge.

Gympie District Court was told police seized 49.5kg of marijuana plants with a wholesale value of more than $360,000 at the property.

Almost half of the plants were more than 1m high.

Best, 48, pleaded guilty to nine charges, including producing dangerous drugs in excess of 500g, possessing dangerous drugs in excess of 500g, and possessing items used in the commission of a drug crime.

Best and Halpin were growing almost 400 marijuana plants at a Carters Ridge property.

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He was sentenced to two years' jail, with the term to be suspended for two and a half years after he has spent six months behind bars.

Best had already served nine days in pre-sentence custody.

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Halpin, 53, pleaded guilty to six charges, including producing dangerous drugs in excess of 500g, possessing dangerous drugs in excess of 500g, and possessing items used in the commission of a drug crime.

He was jailed for 18 months, with the sentence to be suspended for 30 months once he has served four months' actual prison time.

Halpin had already served 10 days in pre-sentence custody.

Originally published as Two men caught with 49kg of marijuana in Mary Valley