STUDENT GREW POT TO PAY FOR TUITION FEES

KAMLOOPS, B.C. -- A 34-year-old electronics student who said his marijuana
crop was to make money for tuition fees pleaded guilty Monday in B.C.
Supreme Court to possession of marijuana for the purpose of trafficking.

Kelly Miskolczi of Merritt was given a 16-month conditional sentence,
including three months of house arrest. He was also fined $2,000.

He was charged in August 2001 after RCMP searched a shed at the back of a
rental house and found more than 180 marijuana plants in varying stages of
growth.

The plants, as well as numerous lights and fans, were seized and a copy of
the search warrant left at the shed.

Miskolczi then went to the Merritt RCMP station, warrant in hand, and
admitted being the pot grower.

"He should either get the good citizen award or the dumb criminal award,"
said defence lawyer Don Campbell.

At the time of his arrest, Miskolczi told police he was trying to raise
money to pay for his ongoing university education.

"I'm trying to go to university and you took my tuition," he told police.

Justice Ian Josephson was told that Miskolczi shrugged off suggestions from
officers that his was a serious offence, saying that no one gets penalized
for growing marijuana.

Campbell said Miskolczi was unemployed at the time, on welfare, supporting
two children and planned to use the money from his illegal crop to pay for
his continuing education in the field of electronics.

Miskolczi expects to graduate with a degree in electronics engineering
within two years.

Campbell said Miskolczi is currently working full time at an electronics
firm, often up to 85 hours a week.