Granite Belt man pleads guilty to growing marijuana in property’s shed

The father was using hydroponic tents on his property at The Summit to grow marijuana plants weighing nearly 10kg, with a police raid uncovering a significant amount of other drug paraphernalia.

IN COURT: The man pleaded guilty to growing marijuana on his property at The Summit. Picture: contrastaddict / iStock

A man who pleaded guilty to growing just under 10kg of marijuana plants on his Granite Belt property has walked away with a fine, after claiming the hefty drug stash helped him manage chronic pain and mental health concerns.

The Warwick District Court heard Matthew Victor Reibelt led police directly to his marijuana operation when officers raided his property at The Summit on March 27 last year.

Police found a number of hydroponic tents lining the back wall of the 49-year-old’s shed, along with a large amount of drug utensils and equipment such as bongs, scissors, chemicals, pH testers, potting mix, and garden pots.

Crown prosecutor Zachary Kaplan told the court the marijuana plants weighed just under 10kg in total, but the actual loose-leaf material amounted to 873g when analysed.

He said the raid uncovered a further 500g of loose marijuana.

“ (Reibelt) admitted to producing cannabis for a personal basis … he didn’t disclose how long he’d been growing it for, but it’s safe to say it was quite some time given the age of the plants,” Mr Kaplan said.

The Warwick court heard Reibelt’s only other criminal conviction was for producing marijuana in Tasmania more than 20 years ago.

Defence lawyer Andrew Hanlon said the father had worked as an agricultural worker for most of his life, and suffered chronic pain after decades of physical labour.

Mr Hanlon said Reibelt’s injuries were exacerbated in a car accident about a decade earlier, with the crash also claiming the life of his first wife.

“He also suffers from (PTSD) as a result of the car accident he was involved in, and he was also self-medicating to some extent the symptoms of that disorder through his use of cannabis,” he said.

Mr Hanlon added his client acknowledged growing his own marijuana was an “unlawful” solution, and had begun working with a psychologist and general practitioner since the charges.

Reibelt pleaded guilty to one count each of producing a dangerous drug in excess of 500g, possessing a dangerous drug in excess of 500g, and possessing drug utensils.

He was fined $1500.