Man who cultivated cannabis helped drug addicts after his arrest, court hears
Court hands down a probation order
A 46-year-old man has put on probation for three years for cultivating 21 cannabis plants 13 years ago, after a court heard how, during these years, he had moved on to study and even help young people with drug problems.
“Here we have a case of someone who did not only work to improve himself but also tried to help others with drug problems,” Magistrate Elaine Rizzo said as she handed down judgment in the case of John Busuttil, after she cleared him of trafficking in cannabis but found him guilty of cultivating the plant.
The magistrate heard Police Inspector Dennis Theuma explain how, in July 2013, police were tipped off about the cultivation of cannabis in a Santa Venera garage. On searching the place, they found plants being cultivated using a system known as hydroponics, and there was various equipment, including extractors, halogen lamps and fertilisers.
They found 21 plants, ranging in height from 60cm to one metre.
A court expert said that the total weight of the leaves and stalks was 878g, and the purity of 18% gave a street value of about €20,400.
Busuttil said that he had had financial problems as his catering business went under and started cultivating the plant. He bought the hydroponic system second-hand online for €800, rented the garage, and started cultivating about two months before the arrest after getting seeds from the internet.
He used an extractor to channel the smell of cannabis into an internal shaft.
On handing down judgment, the magistrate noted that: “It is clear that this is not just a case of a person who reformed himself from drug use, but this is a person who – since the moment of his arrest – took full responsibility for his actions and sought support from family and other agencies.”
He attended Caritas and the Millennium Chapel and remained in touch with a probation officer and, in these 13 years, random urine tests found him clean of drug use. He also worked part-time at Caritas, supporting young people with drug problems.
“He worked hard to advance his education and attend courses at the University of Malta and at ITS and graduated from both institutions… he did not only work to improve his life, but also tried to help others,” the magistrate said as she went on to hand down a probation order.