Pubdate: Thu, 11 Sep 2014 Source: StarPhoenix, The (CN SN) Copyright: 2014 The StarPhoenix Contact: http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix/letters.html Website: http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/400 Author: Heather Polischuk Page: A10 HEAD SHOP OWNER SENTENCED FOR POT FARM REGINA - The terminally ill owner of Regina's Vintage Vinyl and Hemp Emporium has already paid a hefty price after police raided his properties and found he was growing more pot than allowed by his existing medical marijuana licence. On Wednesday, Pat Baumet received a further sanction, a six-month conditional sentence to be served in the community. After the frail-looking 53-year-old pleaded guilty to two charges, production and possession of marijuana, federal Crown lawyer Hal Wellsch stayed 14 other charges. The Crown also stayed all charges against Baumet's 24-year-old son Dylan and 53-year-old Jocelyne Lucy Fafard. The sentence imposed by Judge Barbara Tomkins was the product of a joint submission from Wellsch and defence lawyer David Halvorsen. Baumet had no previous criminal record. Wellsch told court police received information in February 2013 that Baumet, who had a permit to produce medical marijuana, was growing more than allowed. Officers executed search warrants at several locations the following month, including a warehouse on 11th Avenue where the pot farm was located. Court heard Baumet was allowed to grow 25 plants and possess 1,125 grams of the dried product under his then valid permit. Police seized 104 plants and a quantity of dried marijuana. Another search, this one at a home, located a significant amount of the dried product in the trunk of a car. In total, Wellsch said police seized the plants and 74.33 pounds of dried pot. Both Wellsch and Halvorsen noted Baumet previously had several other valid permits to grow marijuana for other people. Had they still been in place, the amount of product in Baumet's possession would have been legal. Unfortunately, the other permits had expired by late 2012. Halvorsen said his client - a long-time holder of a medical marijuana licence - went to Thailand several years ago on a shopping trip for Vintage Vinyl and ended up having surgery there that couldn't be done in Canada. Prior to leaving on the trip, Baumet, who has cancer, was given three months to live. The surgery bought him about five years, but, as of now, Halvorsen said his client is expected to live less than a year. Halvorsen said Baumet, while struggling to deal with his medical issues, got behind in having his other permits renewed with Health Canada. "Likewise, he had not paid proper attention to the amount of plants he was to have in terms of two other individuals whose licences had expired," Halvorsen said. "He thought they weren't expired. He was absolutely amazed when he was arrested because he thought that he was three plants under what he was allowed to have." Halvorsen pointed out Baumet had not trafficked or supplied the drug to anyone other than the people he had been permitted to grow for. Court heard that under the province's Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods legislation, Baumet forfeited more than $1 million, losing the warehouse from which the plants were seized. Wellsch told court the Crown agreed to the conditional sentence because of the sizable civil forfeiture order, the guilty pleas and the precarious state of Baumet's health. Outside court, Halvorsen said Baumet still has a medical marijuana licence, which he is expected to retain in spite of the convictions. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom