Cannabis-grower’s Taranaki operation for personal use benefited friends, too, court hears

A cannabis growing operation was found at Cuan Armstrong's Taranaki home. Photo / File

When the country was put into lockdown, a man who used cannabis to self-medicate decided to grow his own so he didn’t have to leave his bubble to get it.

But the operation quickly grew into a “sophisticated setup” which saw him also hooking his friends up with weed.

As a result, Cuan Armstrong was in New Plymouth District Court this week facing one charge of possession of cannabis, reduced from possession for supply, and one of cultivation of cannabis.

The court heard a search warrant was executed at Armstrong’s Taranaki address on November 9 last year.

Police found CCTV cameras fixed to four separate locations of the property and a room at the rear with a growing operation inside.

Ten “large” cannabis plants were discovered and among the growing equipment was a set of electronic scales.

Scattered throughout Armstrong’s house was 464.9g, or around 16oz, of cannabis, some of which was packaged into snaplock bags.

Armstrong took full ownership of the drugs and asked police not to destroy his growing equipment.

In court, defence lawyer Samantha Hunt said her client had grown the marijuana for personal use and the operation was not of a commercial nature.

He consumed it to assist with his mental health and back pain but had lately reduced his intake and was now on CBD medication, she said.

Armstrong started growing cannabis during the Covid-19 lockdowns to stop him from having to leave his address for it, Hunt said.

She submitted a sentence of community work coupled with supervision was appropriate.

When Judge Gregory Hikaka pointed out Armstrong had admitted to supplying his friends with the drug, Hunt said no money was exchanged.

Police prosecutor Detective Sergeant Dave McKenzie accepted the supply element of the possession charge had been dropped but emphasised some of the weed was being distributed.

He submitted if Armstrong was to be given community work, it would need to be “high-end”, in terms of hours.

Judge Hikaka said a presentence report stated Armstrong had no intention of moving the drugs further than his group of friends, which the judge accepted.

But because it wasn’t only for personal use, and even if it was only gifted to others, he took a different view on the end sentence than that of Hunt’s suggestion.

“It was quite a sophisticated setup and the way the cannabis was located in various locations around your address shows you were managing the quantity in a way which made it more easily distributed.”

Armstrong was sentenced to three months of community detention, with a curfew of 7pm to 7am, and six months of supervision.

An order was made for the destruction of the drugs and the growing equipment.

Tara Shaskey joined NZME in 2022 as a news director and Open Justice reporter. She has been a reporter since 2014 and previously worked at Stuff where she covered crime and justice, arts and entertainment, and Māori issues.