Rex James Pearce injured a shoulder working on an oil rig 25 years ago. Cannabis-infused tea relieved the pain.
So the ACC beneficiary, 55, converted a farm shed on his Poroti property, 20km south of Whangarei, into a sophisticated cannabis-growing operation to have a ready supply.
Yesterday he was given home detention for charges including cultivating cannabis and stealing more than $5000 worth of electricity to run his growing operation.
Pearce tampered with a power meter and diverted electricity to run dehumidifiers, water pumps and hi-tech lighting to ensure the indoor cannabis crop flourished.
When Whangarei police raided his property in June, they found a partitioned shed with 30 cannabis plants, and rifles and ammunition, even though Pearce had his firearms licence revoked 10 years ago.
Yesterday, in the High Court at Whangarei, Justice Geoffrey Venning said the use of cannabis for medicinal reasons was a common explanation but it did not wash.
Pearce was sentenced to 11 months' home detention after previously pleading guilty to cultivating cannabis, selling cannabis, theft of electricity, possession of explosives, four charges of unlawful possession of a firearm, and four of possession of a firearm while a licence was revoked.
Justice Venning said he had granted home detention by the "narrowest of margins", giving Pearce credit for an early guilty plea, a 14-year period since his last conviction and having a supportive wife.
Police estimated the potential value of the crop to be up to $25,000. Pearce told officers he started growing cannabis two years earlier for pain relief but sold the excess to friends for between $2500 and $4000 a pound (0.45kg).
Pearce was ordered to pay reparation of $5034 to Northpower at $100 a week.
The police hotline to report suspicious drug-related activity is 0800 BAN DRUGS.
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