Hurstbridge: Linden Stubbs allegedly runs cannabis seed business
A Hurstbridge man has allegedly been helping people grow cannabis all over the country, running a cannabis seed business from his mum’s house. And he allegedly asked his mum to come take the blame when he was arrested.
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A Hurstbridge man has allegedly been running a national cannabis seed business from his mum’s house.
And Linden Stubbs allegedly called his mum from custody and asked her to claim responsibility for his cannabis after he was arrested on Tuesday.
The 29-year-old fronted Heidelberg Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, July 22, charged with trafficking cannabis while on a community corrections order for charges including cultivating cannabis.
Police raided his home on Curtain Rd in Hurstbridge on July 21, allegedly discovering thousands of hemp seeds arranged into files with names and dates attached, and about 100g of cannabis.
The court heard Stubbs allegedly had lists of clients, tracking numbers for packages that had been posted and money owed by clients.
Stubbs also allegedly had business paraphernalia, including business cards, stickers and a large poster, in the name of Bees Knees Genetics, as well as packaging and a label printer.
Leading Senior Constable Andrew Williams said Stubbs told police he had been distributing the seeds all over Australia, except for Western Australia, because his seeds didn’t get through there.
He was allegedly selling six seeds for $50, with an extra $10 charged for postage, despite police checks discovering he was allegedly purchasing 1kg of seeds for about $20.99.
Magistrate Jennifer Tregent said she was surprised Stubbs hadn’t been charged with obtaining financial advantage by deception, saying he was “ripping off” somebody.
Stubbs allegedly told police it wasn’t illegal for him to sell the seeds, which were ‘collectors items’, and it was only illegal if they were planted.
Stubbs’ business has almost 7500 followers on Instagram, with the social media profile saying the business sells worldwide.
The business advertises two types of seeds for sale, ‘Cream Berry Cake’ and ‘The Cake”, offering one seed for $7.
‘The Cake’ is advertised as “an extremely rare hybrid strain” that will “loosen your tongue and your laughter”.
When Stubbs was granted a phone call at Eltham police station after his arrest, he allegedly called his mother and asked her to claim the seeds as hers.
The court heard the unemployed man had been a longtime daily user of cannabis and had admitted to police he had driven while on the drug.
Police argued he was a risk of continuing to use and traffic drugs, placing the public in danger.
Stubbs also faced charges which cannot be published.
His lawyer, Emily Metcalfe, pushed for her client to be bailed saying he could spend longer in custody waiting for his case to resolve than he might be sentenced to.
She said he was already undertaking regular drug screens in attempts to visit his three children in DHHS care.
Ms Tregent granted him bail with a nightly curfew.
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