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HANOI, September 28 (dpa): Vietnamese authorities have captured a farmer growing more than 300 cannabis plants in the middle of his orange grove, who he said were to feed his chickens, state media announced.
Police in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta region, located about three hours from Ho Chi Minh City, said Bui Duc Hoa, 42, grew 304 cannabis plants.
The farmer told local authorities that he bought the seeds from a friend and started growing the plants, which had already reached a height of 1.5 meters, two months ago.
The farmer told police that he received the cannabis seeds from a friend and that he grew the plants to feed his chickens as a way to keep them from getting sick.
The goal was solely to secure and prevent their chickens from getting sick, he added.
Cannabis is illegal in Vietnam.
Small producers can face a fine of between US $ 80 and US $ 215, while farmers who grow larger amounts can be jailed for between six months and seven years. Police have seized the brush and are continuing their investigation.
Drug arrests with severe sentences are not common in Vietnam.
A Ho Chi Minh City court sentenced eight people to death for drug trafficking in October 2019 after a judge found them guilty of transporting 132 kilograms of heroin and 55 kilograms of methamphetamine.
Under Vietnamese law, the production or sale of 100 grams of heroin or cocaine, or 300 grams of methamphetamine, justifies the death penalty.
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