LABOURER BELIEVED POT WAS CHINESE MEDICINE

WINNIPEG -- An immigrant recruited by a stranger in Toronto's
Chinatown to work at a Manitoba farm testified yesterday he thought he
was harvesting Chinese medicinal herbs and had no idea it was marijuana.

Hui Jin Li is one of 28 people charged with marijuana production for
allegedly working on one of Manitoba's biggest grow operations.

The labourers, mostly poor immigrants from Toronto, were promised
anywhere from $100 to $500 a day to work on the farm, which is about
100 kilometres southeast of Winnipeg. They worked from dawn until dusk
in a greenhouse on the property and spent the night in sleeping bags
on the floor of the tiny, unfurnished house.

Mr. Li, 47, told court the only plant he is familiar with is a tomato
plant, and he didn't know plants on the farm were marijuana.

"He didn't know; he just guessed. He thought it was
some kind of Chinese medicine," Mr. Li said through an
interpreter.

Crown attorney Anne Turner asked Mr. Li whether he and other workers
were suspicious about the strange plant they were cutting.

"I'm going to suggest there was talk among the workers it might be
something illegal, not a Chinese medicine plant," Ms. Turner said.

"He just guessed, he just [thought] about that," Mr. Li replied
through an interpreter.

Mr. Li is on trial in Winnipeg along with four other immigrants from
Ontario. Two also testified Monday that they had no idea they were
harvesting marijuana.

Court heard Mr. Li found out the plants were pot after police raided
the farm in October, 2005. He was arrested along with the 27 other
farm workers. He spent nearly two months in jail.

Mr. Li, who was born in China, was recruited from a restaurant in
Toronto, where he worked as a cook for about $600 a week.

He told the court it's not unusual in Chinatown for people to get
hired for jobs on word-of-mouth referrals from friends or
acquaintances.