Jeffrey Papalia, 57, pleads guilty to cultivating and possessing cannabis

A Leopold dad was busted with almost 30kg of cannabis his lawyer told a court he used in brownies and oil to treat chronic pain.

A Leopold dad was busted with 30kg of cannabis.

A Leopold dad has been busted growing cannabis in an “elaborate” backyard set-up after he previously avoided jail for cultivating the illegal plant.

Jeffrey Papalia, 57, fronted the Geelong Magistrates Court on Wednesday and pleaded guilty to cultivating and possessing cannabis.

On May 16 this year, police searched Papalia’s home and found cannabis plants growing inside a garden shed.

Officers found four cannabis plants which had recently been harvested as well as four smaller plants in a garden bed.

Inside Papalia’s bedroom, police found a black drying tent and a large drying hanger filled with cannabis as well as a grinder.

A safe was also found inside the home which contained 22 glass coffee jars filled with between 30 to 50g of dried cannabis.

The total weight of the cannabis seized by police from Papalia’s home was 29kg.

During a police interview, Papalia made full admissions to cultivating and possessing the cannabis and told officers the drugs were “for personal use”.

In 2021, Papalia avoided jail at the Geelong County Court after police raided his home and found 15 cannabis plants from his home.

The total weight of cannabis seized from his home during the raid was about 44.3kg.

He was sentenced by a judge to a community corrections order (CCO) for two years.

Papalia’s lawyer Hollie Lyons told the court her client turned the dried cannabis into an oil or used it in baked goods such as brownies to treat chronic pain.

Ms Lyons said Papalia started to use cannabis at the age of 22 after a firearm was discharged into his face.

“It was a serious injury that was a catalyst for his cannabis usage,” she said.

Ms Lyons said her client had a certificate to use medical cannabis.

“But finances are tight, hence why he has an elaborate backyard set-up,” she said.

Ms Lyons asked the court to sentence her client to a CCO, however magistrate Franz Holzer took what he described was a “generous” course and placed Papalia on a good behaviour bond for two years without conviction.

Mr Holzer said Papalia was “likely to continue to use cannabis in some form”.

He warned Papalia that cannabis was “illegal” and noted 29kg was “a lot of cannabis”.

“I understand why you’re using it but it is illegal,” he said.

“If you continue to grow plants … you’re going to get pinged.

“You’re on their radar, that’s the reality.”

Originally published as Jeffrey Papalia, 57, pleads guilty to cultivating and possessing cannabis