Pubdate: Sat, 13 Jun 2009 Source: Chronicle Herald (CN NS) Copyright: 2009 The Halifax Herald Limited Contact: http://thechronicleherald.ca/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/180 Author: Eva Hoare Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmjcn.htm (Marijuana - Medicinal - Canada) MAN ARRESTED IN GROW-OP SEARCH Waverley Home May Be Owned by Medical Marijuana Advocate An RCMP drug bust may have netted a marijuana advocate in Nova Scotia. The Mounties said they arrested a 62-year-old man on Wednesday during a search of a Waverley home, where they found a "sophisticated marijuana grow operation." The home, at 82 Rolling Hills Dr., is listed on Nova Scotia's Property Online website as being owned by a David Lloyd Dunphy. That's also the name of a man who has previously advocated for the use of medical marijuana, but it wasn't clear whether they are the same person. No officials, including the RCMP spokesman who sent the news release about the search, could be reached Friday to confirm the identity of the arrested man. A business website lists a David Dunphy as the manager of the Green Wonder Hydroponics store in Dartmouth. When the Wyse Road store was contacted Friday, Mr. Dunphy was not on duty, a staffer said. Meanwhile, the RCMP officers said the grow operation they discovered at the Rolling Hills Drive home consisted of three rooms, with one used for harvesting marijuana. Another room was used for growing 17 mother marijuana plants for cloning, while the third was used to grow more than 200 cloned plants, the release said. The man arrested in the search will appear in Dartmouth provincial court on July 29. He was released from custody. Back in May 2000, a David Dunphy was quoted in the Ottawa Citizen as saying he was bidding to be Canada's official medical marijuana supplier. At that time he was identified as being from Green Wonder Gardening Inc. of Dartmouth. He also said he had some experience growing "weed" in British Columbia. At the time, he was growing cucumbers, peppers and tomatoes. It wasn't clear Friday whether he had been successful in becoming an official medical marijuana supplier. Wednesday's search at the Rolling Hills Drive address was conducted by the RCMP marijuana grow unit, along with members from the RCMP synthetic drug section and Lower Sackville Mounties. Federal laws regarding designated marijuana producers were recently changed, allowing growers to produce enough of the drug for two users, according to an article in Cannabis Culture Magazine. Before the change, growers were allowed only enough marijuana for one user. Medical marijuana supporters have decried the small increase in growing limits, calling it a "slap in the face," the magazine quoted an advocate as saying. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake