Drug grower jailed

Press, 19 July 1989, Page 25

Drug grower jailed

A man who was tired of having to buy cannabis and deal with pushers, decided to grow his own supply aind what started out as a backyard matter quickly got out of hand, the High Court was told yesterday. Kelvin James Anderson, aged 37, was jailed for one year and eight months on a charge of possession for supply. He had pleaded guilty in the District Court and had been committed to the High Court for sentence.

For Anderson, Mr Allister Davis said that cannabis was a class C drug and there had been a lot of discussion about whether it should be legalised. There was no financial gain for Anderson. Anderson had set out to grow cannabis, of which

he was a heavy user, for his own supply. Before this offence Anderson had an unblemished record and he had found the time he had been in custody on remand a sobering experience. He was unlikely to appear again.

Because of the criminal types among drug dealers Anderson did not want to have anything to do with them, so he grew his own cannabis. A man of considerable ability, Anderson, one of the leading greenstone carvers in New Zealand, was a talented painter who had contributed a lot to the art world. There was no evidence that Anderson was engaged in a commercial drug operation but he had pleaded guilty because of the amount found at his home, Mr Davis said.

For the Crown, Mr Michael Lennard said that the inference was that Anderson was contemplating dealing in cannabis although no money had changed hands. Cannabis weighing 2.5 kg valued about $9OOO was involved. Mr Justice Tipping said that the police had raided an address where they found Anderson and three others sitting around a table on which there were plastic bags containing cannabis. Anderson was participating in a discussion which must have had connotations of dealing. The cannabis weighed 6.191 b and was valued about $9OOO. A man of considerable talents it was a tragedy, to see Anderson in his present situation, Mr Justice Tipping said.