Samuel Joseph Topia sentenced for producing cannabis

A man busted operating an illegal “global seed trading business” supplying cannabis was shocked police had not searched his property earlier, a court has been told.

Samuel Joseph Topia collage.

An “avid cannabis user” handed police officers his business card for his website and Instagram that advertised the sale of marijuana when they arrived at his property.

Samuel Joseph Topia, 39, had operated an illegal “global seed trading business” supplying cannabis and was shocked police had not searched his South Burnett property sooner, a court was told.

The Wattle Camp man appeared in the Maroochydore District Court on Thursday, December 14, where he pleaded guilty to a number of charges relating to the production of cannabis on his property.

Topia was convicted of possessing, producing and supplying cannabis, after police discovered 48 plants and 273 THC lollipops in his possession on April 2, 2023.

Social media posts shared to the Mad Canna account.

Crown prosecutor Jordan Lee said Topia told police he ran a business producing the drug and gave officers his business card.

“He declared to police there was cannabis on the property and he was producing it as part of his business which researched different cannabis strains,” Mr Lee said.

“He also provided police with his business card for his company called Mad Canna, which operates a website and Instagram account advertising the sale of cannabis.”

The Mad Canna Instagram page began sharing photos of the seeds and plants in May 2020.

Defence barrister Jake Kennedy told the court Topia was an “avid cannabis user” and the 39-year-old had expressed surprise the police had not searched the property earlier.

“He’d use at times an ounce a day, sometimes one to four ounces over a couple of days,” Mr Kennedy said.

“The reason the amount was high is because he’d consume the drugs through a method he describes as juicing, which is exactly what it sounds like, he would grind it up and drink it.”

Mad Canna merchandise advertised online.

Mr Kennedy told the court Topia struggled with chronic back pain and turned to cannabis believing it was healthier.

The court was told Topia had a criminal history spanning 21 years that involved similar offences involving cannabis.

District Court judge Gary Long told the court the “line needs to be drawn”, adding Topia had also been advertising his business at the hemp health expo in Brisbane.

“This is the third time now that the courts have dealt with offences of the nature of producing the dangerous drug, cannabis, that is growing cannabis plants,” Mr Long said.

Topia was sentenced to 12 months’ behind bars and was released on parole immediately.