Police have busted medicinal marijuana growers for cultivating a crop well beyond what their license permits.
On Friday, Prince George RCMP executed a search warrant on one half of a duplex in the 500 block of Alward Street suspected as a grow-op and not licensed for medicinal marijuana growth.
"Initially, investigators were able to determine that a marijuana grow operation existed in one half of the duplex - 308 marijuana plants and 45 pounds of dried marijuana were located in this half," said Prince George RCMP spokesman Cpl. Craig Douglass.
And before long, police found themselves calling for a second warrant on the other half of the duplex, which was licensed but was now suspected of going beyond its allowances.
"While executing the first warrant, the investigators located a homemade doorway to the other half of the duplex, which revealed more marijuana plants. A total of 216 plants were located on this half of the duplex," said Douglass.
According to police, Health Canada licenses allowed the cultivation of marijuana in one part of the property for legal sale to patients prescribed marijuana for medical conditions. However, said Douglass, "far more plants were being produced than allowed."
The Health Canada permits were for a total of 122 plants. The excess 90 plants were removed by police, said Douglass.
Charges of production of a controlled substance are being recommended against a 20-year-old female and a 32-year-old male.
