Jason Scott Black in Gympie court for growing cannabis

A man has fronted court after police found more than 7o marijuana plants growing in a tent in his Kilkivan backyard.

Jason Scott Black appeared in Gympie Magistrates Court on December 12, 2022. Photo: social media.

A former crane operator grew marijuana plants in his backyard when he couldn’t afford his prescription for the medicinal drug.

Jason Scott Black, 51, pleaded guilty in Gympie Magistrates Court to producing and possessing dangerous drugs and possessing a hydroponic tent and lighting.

Detectives from Kingaroy executed a search warrant on a Kilkivan property on November 26, 2022.

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Black led the officers into his backyard yard to show them a number of pots, all growing marijuana plants.

Some of the plants were growing inside a hydroponic tent and other pots were sitting on a table beside it, the court heard.

He also handed over some “green leaf material” in a small cardboard box, police prosecutor Vicki Kennedy-Grills said.

Black had told police he was prescribed medicinal cannabis but it was so expensive he decided to grow his own, Sergeant Kennedy-Grills told the court.

He grew the plants from seeds, watered them and extracted the oil to relieve pain from a neck injury, Black told police.

There were 42 plants between 30 and 70cm, seven plants in the hydroponic tent and 30 seedlings inside the residence.

“There were 79 in total,” Sergeant Kennedy-Grills said.

Defence lawyer Chris Anderson said Black previously worked as a mobile crane operator before a car accident that left him with neck pain.

Mr Anderson said prescriptions to treat the pain cost Black about $280 per month and became “quite expensive”due to his inability to work.

Black was fined $600 and no conviction was recorded.

Originally published as Jason Scott Black in Gympie court for growing cannabis