POT-GROWING GRANDMA GROUNDED

A pot-growing grandma was given a six-month conditional sentence and a
stern warning from a provincial court judge in Chilliwack Tuesday.

"You're lucky you're not going to jail," Judge William McDonald told the
53-year-old grandmother, after hearing how police found 506 marijuana
plants in her Woodbine Street home last February.

He said the grow-operation, with an estimated street value of up to
$150,000, may be considered small today, but a few years ago would have
been a major operation.

Bonny Potvin was arrested along with her husband, Robert, and daughter,
Rachael, but charges against them were dismissed Tuesday when the federal
Crown decided not to present evidence against them.

Crown counsel did not explain the decision in court, but Judge McDonald
said he suspected Ms. Potvin was taking the rap so that her truck-driver
husband could keep working without a criminal record.

Defence lawyer Phil Derksen said Ms. Potvin, a volunteer at the local
hospital and other charity groups, takes "full responsibility" for the
offence and promised not to do it again.

Judge McDonald reluctantly accepted a joint submission by defence and Crown
counsel for a six-month conditional rather than jail sentence.

"I don't particularly like this arrangement," he said.

"You may think this (growing pot) is something that's accepted in some way
by society," he told Ms. Potvin. "I can tell you it's illegal, the court
treats it seriously, and you're very lucky not to be going to jail today."

He said if she is found growing marijuana again it would be "virtually
guaranteed that you're going to jail, probably for a long time."

The sentence includes a 60-hour community service work order, a ban on
possessing grow-lights and other grow-op equipment and a curfew for the
first three months of her sentence.