MARIJUANA GROWN IN FORMER SCHOOL

SASKATOON -- A Mayfair man accused of running a marijuana grow
operation doesn't dispute he grew the illegal street drug, but he
maintains it was for his own use and not for sale.

"He needed it for his medical condition," said lawyer Bill Roe in
defending 35-year-old Mark John Evanishen.

"He was a chronic drug user. He was using a high amount of marijuana
every day."

On Friday in Saskatoon provincial court, Roe argued that Evanishen's
grow operation in a former school in Mayfair, about 110 kilometres
northwest of Saskatoon, was not sophisticated enough to be a
commercial operation. A Saskatoon man formerly convicted of drug
charges agreed.

"This is not industry standard," said Jason Hiltz who was called as
an expert witness for the defence.

He pointed to what he said was inexpensive equipment, a poor design
for the grow op and less than optimal growing conditions.

"If we were looking at a ladder with 10 rungs, it would not have made
the first step," said Hiltz.

He was called as an "expert" witness because of his 18 years'
experience with indoor grow operations that included two drug
convictions. Hiltz spent 15 months in jail after he was convicted in
1988 for cultivating and possessing marijuana for the purpose of
trafficking. And in 2003, he received a conditional sentence after
being caught with 16 pounds of marijuana. For 10 years, he also owned
a "legitimate" hydroponics business where he grew cucumbers, tomatoes
and lettuce.

Hiltz approached Roe after he heard about testimony given by an RCMP
officer in March that characterized Evanishen's operation as high scale.

"My initial motive was fairness," said Hiltz in an interview. "I
called Mr. Roe and said (the testimony) was baloney and he called me
into his office and allowed me the opportunity to view the evidence
where I gave my opinion that it was a very low-end operation."