High cost of Dardanup man Carl Mazza’s pot plants

A 32-year-old Dardanup man has been ordered to stay out of trouble for the next year after admitting to growing cannabis in his home to aid his addiction. Carl Christopher Mazza was placed on a 12-month community-based order and fined $800 after pleading guilty to various drug possession charges and failing to adequately store firearms during his appearance in Bunbury Magistrate’s Court on Thursday. The court was told Mazza was at his Dardanup home when police executed a search warrant on the morning of February 24. During the search, police located a hydroponic set-up in the rear shed consisting of four cannabis plants and a further nine plants within the backyard. Police also seized 167g of cannabis leaf, a plastic smoking implement and a glass smoking pipe. The court was told Mazza told police he was growing the cannabis for personal use and had no intention of selling it. Police later located a .22 rifle and a loose magazine inside Mazza’s walk-in wardrobe. In submissions, the court was told Mazza fell into cannabis addiction following a difficult break-up and had since successfully completed the Alcohol and Other Drugs Diversion Program. Although Magistrate Brionie Ayling found it was “problematic” for Mazza to have a hydroponic set-up in his home, she found Mazza would be able to comply with an order having successfully complied with a previous order in relation to an assault charge. “Having a hydroponic set-up in your home is quite problematic because the next logical explanation for possessing extra cannabis would be to distribute it to the community,” she said. “However, I am of the view that you were not intending on doing that and that it was for your personal use.” Mazza was also ordered to pay court costs exceeding $500.