The offender pleaded guilty to possession of marijuana for the purpose of trafficking, production of marijuana, and possession of brass knuckles.
Police executing a search warrant discovered 451 marijuana plants, seeds, and sophisticated growing equipment in the offender’s residence.
The offender had a prior conviction for marijuana production and had previously received a conditional sentence.
The court held that the scale of the operation, the residential setting, the presence of a weapon, and the offender’s prior similar conviction required a custodial sentence to achieve denunciation and deterrence.
A conditional sentence was rejected as inappropriate given the recidivist conduct.