First Canadian Conviction For Growing Opium Poppies

Used to make tea since a youngster in India, a 63 year-old Canadian was given a one-year sentence for growing 1,200 opium poppy plants in a home garden. According to the Calgary Herald April 8, 2008 article,("Urban Poppy Grower Convicted") 'The judge took a dim view of the poppy garden, despite the fact cultivation of the plants was for personal use in tea -- something Samra had done since he was a youngster in India.'Clearly, there is no place in Canadian society for growth of this product,' provincial court Judge William Cummings said. 'It is completely offensive to the community....A loud message has to be sent."

The article states, "Cummings placed Samra under house arrest for the first four months of the sentence, then under a curfew for the last eight months. He must submit to random searches of his person, vehicle and home, as well as attend counselling for substance abuse, and abstain from alcohol and drugs. Samra also must perform 50 hours of community service 'to convey the message that these substances are not tolerated,' added Cummings. Samra did not make any comment when given the opportunity by the judge before being sentenced. A second charge of possession for the purpose of trafficking was withdrawn following the guilty plea."

The article adds, "The university's Facchini -- who is authorized to study only 100 plants under strict conditions -- agreed that opium use is not uncommon in parts of India, where it is legally grown. He said there are likely others in Calgary doing the same as Samra. 'There's no doubt there are ( others ). You have a culturally very diverse country, and if you look into the popularity, or the use of opium as a recreational drug, culturally in India it's very common...'But we do have to be sensitive to the fact that, in other parts of the world, people don't view plants like poppy, khat or even marijuana the same way where it is used as a social thing, the same way we would use coffee."