Man found growing pot to spend 60 days in jail

[superjoint]

By Matt Joyce
Herald Staff Writer

A man who was caught growing 150 marijuana plants in a Forest Lakes home will spend 60 days in jail after pleading guilty to two marijuana-possession charges.

In an agreement with the District Attorney’s Office, Paul G. Vann, 44, pleaded guilty to a felony offense of possession of 8 or more ounces of marijuana, and a misdemeanor offense of possession of 1 to 8 ounces.

The District Attorney’s Office dropped marijuana cultivation and distribution charges in exchange for the guilty pleas.

When sheriff’s deputies raided the Forest Lakes home in August 2000, they found Vann and about $150,000 in marijuana plants – the largest bust of the year at that time.

Public Defender Tom Williamson said that Vann’s try at the marijuana business was an act of financial desperation. Both of Vann’s parents died within two weeks of one another in 1998, leaving behind substantial medical debt, he said.

"(Vann) really was a desperate person in a desperate situation due to finances," Williamson said.

Williamson noted that the probation department did not recommend substance abuse treatment for Vann, implying that he did not have a drug-abuse problem.

Vann was also sentenced to two years probation and 48 hours of community service.

Chief District Judge Gregory Lyman approved Vann’s participation in the work-release program pending approval by La Plata County Jail administration.