Monica Sala, Sean Mullan on marijuana growing charges in Coffs Harbour court

A Coffs council workers and cook have faced court for cultivating marijuana. In one case, the “very large” plants were detected by the police helicopter and another involved an inside set up. Full details:

In one case the “very large” plants were detected by the police helicopter.

A Coffs Harbour City Council worker and well respected cook were among several cannabis growers before Coffs Harbour Local Court recently.

Magistrate Michael Dakin was presiding on Monday, making the trip down from the Northern Rivers.

“Bare in mind I’ve just driven down from Lismore and rain is a four-letter word,” Mr Dakin said.

“We’ve had three months of rain and it doesn’t inhibit the growth of these things.”

On a more serious note he told the court he often hears people say they grow cannabis for therapeutic purposes.

“People often put to me it’s for medical reasons.”

But he added: “You can’t do it, you can’t treat yourself.”

‘You can leave here with your good reputation intact’

A 56-year-old woman fronted Coffs Harbour Local Court after police conducting earial surveillance found four “very large” cannabis plants on February 10 this year.

Monica Sala from the Darkwood Road area west of Bellingen pleaded guilty to the charge of: cultivate prohibited plant (larger than a small quantity but less than an indictable quantity).

Mr Dakin told the court that while the charge related to just five plants they were “very large” and had been detected by police during aerial surveillance.

Ms Sala’s lawyer presented letters from her doctor and told the court his client was growing the plants for personal use and that she had found other medication extremely expensive with unwanted side effects.

He also spoke of her good character and generosity in the community and her work as a well respected cook.

Mr Dakin acknowledged her reputation but said simply: “You can’t do it - you can’t treat yourself.

“Often the court hears prescribed medication is expensive and has undesired side effects but it’s not the same as the substance grown in the backyard.”

A local doctor with extensive experience prescribing medicinal cannabis has issued a similar warning, saying that unlike the cannabis sourced illegally, the products he prescribes are grown under highly regulated conditions.

Dr Gull Herzberg has been at the forefront of cannabis use for medicinal and scientific purposes.

“There’s cannabis, and there’s cannabis and there’s cannabis,” Dr Herzberg said.

“There are over 300 products available for doctors to prescribe.

“The poison is in the dose and medical cannabis is grown under a very strict set of conditions and fully certified.”

Ms Sala was found guilty, but without proceeding to conviction, and sentenced to an 18-month conditional release order from April 4.

“You can leave here with your good reputation intact,” Mr Dakin said.

Coffs council water worker just ‘bragging’

A long-serving Coffs Harbour City Council worker has pleaded guilty to cultivating cannabis.

His lawyer Scott James told the court he was bragging about what might come of the four plants found in his home.

Sean Gerald Mullan was before Coffs Harbour Local Court on March 21 and pleaded guilty to: cultivate prohibited plant - small quantity.

His lawyer told the court that Mr Mullan has worked for Coffs Harbour City Council for almost 20 years as a water supervisor within their Coastal Works division.

The court heard he had been hospitalised in recent times for mental health issues and Mr James told the court: “he is heavily medicated today and might look groggy.”

Mr James told the court his client had been caught out “bragging about what might come out of it” and that the four plants found inside his home were detected as part of a wider police investigation into “some other people he was in communication with at the time”.

He said his client has now removed himself from this group of people and that he is generally a person of good character and well respected by his work colleagues.

Mr Mullan was convicted and sentenced to a community correction order for two years from March 21.