A MAN was growing more than 40 cannabis plants in his backyard so he could self-manage his depression, a court has heard.
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Police found the drugs during a raid on a Bendigo property on December 11 last year.
The plants, which varied from seedlings to about 30cm in size, were planted in pots at the rear of the property.
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The 38-year-old man charged with cultivating and possessing the drugs pleaded guilty in the Bendigo Magistrates' Court last week.
Defence lawyer Nicholas Rolfe told the court the man had made some poor choices but the charges had been a "wake-up call" for him.
Mr Rolfe said the man had gone through a challenging period but was now seeing a doctor for his mental health.
Magistrate Russell Kelly said the man was lucky police searched the property when they did and not a month later when the plants would have been larger.
"I accept this has been a wake-up call," Mr Kelly said. "You have been through a bit. Cut the cannabis and then it's smooth sailing."
The magistrate sentenced the man to a 12-month good behaviour bond without conviction.
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