Samuel Joseph Topia, 40, of Kingaroy charged over alleged cannabis seed operation

A South East Queensland man previously busted over THC lollipops is back before the courts accused of selling 285 types of cannabis seeds worth $700,000 while on parole, the crown alleges.

Samuel Joseph Topia leaves the Maroochydore Court House on Thursday, December 14, 2023.

A man previously busted over THC lollipops is back before the courts accused of selling 285 types of cannabis seeds with sales worth hundreds of thousands, the crown alleges.

Samuel Joseph Topia, 40, of Kingaroy, applied for bail in Brisbane’s Supreme Court.

The crown alleges Topia was on parole when he was caught operating an online business selling cannabis seeds.

The court heard he had allegedly sent more than 1800 packages containing the seeds with sales exceeding $700,000.

He was charged with trafficking, five counts of supplying drugs, producing and possessing drugs, two counts of importing and exporting border controlled drugs or plants and associated offences.

Justice Melanie Hindman said it was made more serious by the fact Topia had been dealt with for very similar offending in the past.

Topia was sentenced to a year in jail with immediate parole in December 2023 after police discovered 48 plants and 273 THC lollipops in his possession in April of that year. At the time he had handed police his business card for his website and Instagram that advertised the sale of marijuana when they arrived at his property. He ultimately pleaded guilty to possessing, producing and supplying cannabis.

Samuel Joseph Topia was previously busted over cannabis which he advertised on Instagram.

“You are given a parole release date and it looks like what you do is immediately go back and start doing the exact same thing that just got you into trouble,” Justice Hindman said on Thursday.

“In the past, I was provoked, misled to the belief of certain registration regulations that I was entitled to under the research I have done myself,” Topia offered.

“You must have known after you were convicted at the end of 2023 that you could not continue this research that you claim to be doing on an illegal plant like cannabis,” Justice Hindman countered, making elaborate air quotations with her hands around the word research.

“That might have washed perhaps back in 2023 but surely the inference that I make now is you had those matters dealt with and went, well, bugger it I’m just going to keep doing it.”

Topia said it was his first time in prison and it had been a wake up call and he had been subjected to “almost torturous” conduct in jail.

“I can’t do a life of this,” he said.

“I have no intention of reoffending.”

Justice Hindman said even if the trafficking charge was replaced it was still a strong crown case against Topia but perhaps he hadn’t appreciated “that what he is doing is truly unlawful” due to being influenced by some political beliefs.

She decided to grant bail on a number of conditions including reporting to police twice a week, a night time curfew, closing down his website, not using cannabis even with a prescription, a ban on travel outside Queensland and a requirement to do drug rehab.

“The police will be watching you very closely … it would just be pure stupidity to go back to that type of offending,” Justice Hindman said.

Originally published as Samuel Joseph Topia, 40, of Kingaroy charged over alleged cannabis seed operation