A farmer was arrested on Tuesday and detained for a day at the Pailin provincial police station for allegedly growing about 90 marijuana plants and sharing the bounty with some young villagers. He was released yesterday afternoon.

Sala Krao district police and village security guards descended on the marijuana patch in O’Andong commune on Tuesday morning after they were tipped-off by locals.

Nhek Thol, district police chief, said 89 marijuana plants – some of them not yet fully grown – were found around the home of 54 year-old Miel Pun.

“Those marijuana plants are grown among other plants such as citronella, herbs and bamboo bushes. We found them and uprooted them,” he said, and adding that fewer than 20 were mature, and that three were found already harvested and dried.

Thol said the man admitted to having grown the plants for a long time for personal use and that some young villagers smoked with him sometimes.

“Their parents are not happy about that,” he said. “It involves an addictive substance listed in the Law on Drug Control, which bans it from being consumed and trafficked.”

He added that the man was sent to the provincial police station with the plants and two pipes, as well as a knife and a chopping board allegedly used to process the plants.

Un Serey Roth, deputy provincial police chief, said the suspect was released yesterday after he signed an agreement not to plant marijuana anymore. He added that the plants will be destroyed.