POT GROWER GETS 18 MONTHS

Evansburg Man Was 'Cropsitting' Equivalent of Three Million Marijuana
Joints: Police

EDMONTON - An Evansburg man was sentenced to 18 months in jail Friday
for helping to grow "three million joints" worth of marijuana.

Jason Gary Patriquin, 30, pleaded guilty to producing a controlled
substance after police caught him working as a "cropsitter" at a rural
grow-operation two years ago.

According to the agreed statement of facts, RCMP got a tip and staked
out the grow-operation on Aug. 2, 2006, where they saw Patriquin and
another man tending to seven greenhouses. The greenhouses were nestled
in the bush away from the road and watered by a creek that runs
through the property.

When investigators searched the location, they found 2,716 marijuana
plants along with a special drying room containing 50 pounds of
marijuana. A third room contained freezer bags and a digital scale.

Court of Queen's Bench Justice Darlene Acton called the grow operation
a "factory." Expert witness Det. Clayton Sach estimated the wholesale
value of the crop at between $678,000 and $1.3 million.

Two Edmontonians were among 10 people charged in connection with the
bust, which is believed to be one of the largest in Alberta history.
In all, there were 12 greenhouses on two separate sites and a total of
5,523 plants seized.

"Picture three million joints," RCMP spokesman Wayne Oakes said at the
time. "That's almost enough for everyone in the province."

Evansburg is 90 kilometres west of Edmonton.