Backyard Opium Grower Avoids Jail

Growing poppy plants in his backyard has landed a Calgary man a one-year conditional sentence.   

[the accused] pleaded guilty yesterday to a single charge of cultivation of opium poppies for growing 1,100 of the flowers in plain view outside his northeast residence. Defence lawyer David Chow said despite the number of plants, the crop wasn’t capable of yielding much in the way of the narcotic. 

“It was only capable of producing 130 grams of opium,” said Chow, adding the plants would also provide a small amount of morphine.  
“The total street value ... for 1,100 - plant grow would be $2,000 and maybe $500 in morphine,” he said outside court.
“That’s why the judge was able to accept the joint submission (for a conditional sentence),” he said.

Provincial court Judge Bill Cummings ordered [the accused] to spend four months under house arrest, complete 50 hours of community service and abstain from alcohol and non-prescription drugs.   Chow said the narcotic was for his client’s own personal use and no drugs were distributed to others.

2008-04-08
Calgary Sun
Kevin Martin