According to an article in WPTV News, a
marijuana grow house was busted on Wednesday after police accidentally stumbled upon it. Usually, grow houses are caught and found through informants, anonymous tipsters, or sting operations. This one however, the police sniffed their way into.
The Crime
According to the article, two uniformed officers patrolling the Pelican Pointe town home got a whiff of
marijuana near the pool area. They followed their noses and saw Jesse Duncans, 26, smoking
marijuana in the rear patio of a town house. Several plants were growing in pots on a table right next to him out in the open.
The officers promptly approached Duncans and identified themselves. He immediately bolted inside with a handful of marijuana in his hands. The police chased him fearing he would try to destroy the evidence. They apprehended him in a bedroom where more plants were found in a closet. There was no one else in the apartment.
Police seized 40
marijuana plants weighing in at 361 grams after a search warrant was granted, and
arrested Duncans on charges of resisting police and cultivating
marijuana. He is being held in
Palm Beach County Jail on a $3,000 bond, according to the article.
Marijuana Grow House
According to Florida Statute 893.1351, a residence is considered a
grow house if it houses more than 25 plants. The statute claims that only if there are more than 25 plants can it provide as evidence that the cannabis is intended for sale or distribution.
As for
drug trafficking, the residence needs at least 300
marijuana plants. Usually if the plants amount to less than 25, a
criminal defense lawyer could easily argue in your defense that the
marijuana was intended for personal consumption.
Marijuana Grow House Criminal Defense
If you are caught growing
marijuana, regardless of the amount, you need a
criminal defense lawyer’s help immediately.
Charges of growing marijuana usually result in a minimum prison sentence of at least three years in addition to steep fines and a felony
criminal record. Talk to a
criminal defense lawyer to figure out your defense strategy.