cannabisnews.com: Pot Expert Disputes Estimate of Yield 





Pot Expert Disputes Estimate of Yield 
Posted by FoM on January 23, 2001 at 10:26:38 PT
By Clark Mason, The Press Democrat
Source: Press Democrat 
A defense expert in a medical marijuana trial gave a much smaller estimate Monday of how much pot a Santa Rosa man's garden would yield, contradicting the previous estimate of a sheriff's detective who confiscated the plants.Chris Conrad, a marijuana cultivation expert, testified that Alan MacFarlane's garden would have yielded 3 pounds of marijuana when it was raided on the first occasion, not the 30 to 60 pounds estimated by a detective who testified last week.
Conrad, who has qualified as a court expert on more than 40 occasions, said the estimate by law enforcement was grossly exaggerated. Under cross-examination by prosecutor Carla Claeys, Conrad admitted he had not seen MacFarlane's plants and was basing his estimates on photographs.The El Cerrito author of several books, including "Hemp for Health," has interviewed more than 1,000 users of medical marijuana and consults for government agencies about cannabis use. He spent all day on the witness stand in MacFarlane's trial, the first medical marijuana jury case in Sonoma County and one of only a few so far in California.MacFarlane is charged with felony cultivation even though he had his doctor's approval to use pot under the state voter initiative that allowed the use of medical marijuana.Prosecutors said the amount MacFarlane was growing was much more than he needed for his own medical needs.On Monday, Conrad testified that the 74 plants and clones seized the first time at MacFarlane's west Santa Rosa home in May 1999 would have yielded between 2.1 and 3 pounds. He based his opinion on studies conducted by the Drug Enforcement Agency and the National Institute of Drug Abuse, which conducted studies in Mississippi and published guidelines for yield based on plant diameter.In contrast, Detective Sgt. Rob Gordon testified last week that the plants would have yielded between 30 and 60 pounds of dried leaves and buds, or up to 1 pound per outdoor plant.MacFarlane also is being prosecuted for growing an additional 36 plants found when the narcotics task force returned to his home several months later.Conrad called MacFarlane's plants "a very basic garden," in contrast to the detective's description of it as sophisticated.Note: SR man's garden focus of county's first medical marijuana jury case. You can reach Staff Writer Clark Mason at 568-5312 or e-mail: cmason pressdemocrat.comSource: Press Democrat, The (CA) Author: Clark Mason, The Press Democrat Published: January 23, 2001Copyright: 2001 The Press Democrat Address: Letters Editor, P. O. Box 569, Santa Rosa CA 95402 Fax: (707) 521-5305 Contact: letters pressdemo.com Website: http://www.pressdemo.com/ Forum: http://www.pressdemo.com/opinion/talk/ Feedback: http://www.pressdemocrat.com/opinion/letform.htmlRelated Articles & Web Site:Chris Conradhttp://www.chrisconrad.com/Sonoma County Medical Pot Trial Focus on Quantityhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread8415.shtmlDoctor Testifies He Approved Patient's Use of Pot http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread8376.shtml
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