RENTED APARTMENT WENT ENTIRELY TO POT, COURT TOLD

Littered With Plants

The Hull apartment rented by Raymond Turmel seemed to serve
exclusively as marijuana grow operation, a Hull court heard yesterday.

"There was no furniture besides one table in the kitchen," Hull Police
Const. Michel Desrosiers testified. "There was no furniture to
indicate anyone lived there."

The 49-year-old medicinal marijuana advocate is on trial for
possessing and cultivating marijuana for the purpose of trafficking
after police seized 613 marijuana plants and various hydroponic
paraphernalia in the Hull apartment on July. He has no lawyer and is
representing himself.

Acting on a search warrant, Desrosiers said the indoor property was
littered with plants and tools needed to grow marijuana.

The jury was also shown a video of the scene.

Fernand Cholette, an RCMP drug expert, said many of the plants seized
had matured by about three months.

"It was a medium seizure," he said, describing the relative importance
of the quantity of drugs found.

"The equipment was good," Cholette added.

The RCMP expert said that each matured plant could produce about 28
grams of pot.

Turmel, who has admitting to possessing marijuana and cultivating it
for the purpose of trafficking, is expected to begin his defence today.