A wheelchair bound Blountstown man was arrested last week after he was caught growing several marijuana plants at his home on Marie Avenue.
Thomas Leonard Maclean has been charged with cultivation of marijuana, possession of more than 20 grams of marijuana, and possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute.
According to the Blountstown Police Department, Inv. Timothy Partridge made contact with Maclean after receiving a tip that he was growing marijuana. Maclean admitted he had a grow house in his backyard shed. He took Inv. Partridge to the site where 17 mature marijuana plants, ranging from five to seven feet in height, were growing. He also provided two bags of harvested marijuana that weighed an estimated 550 grams.
Chief Glenn Kimbrel, Maj. Rodney Smith, and Sgt. Fred Tanner arrived to assist. Maclean then gave a taped statement admitting he had grown marijuana on three other occasions and said the plants and the operation were solely his. He also stated the plants were for personal use only.
The street value of the marijuana was estimated at $17,000.
Also seized from the shed were eight indoor grow lights, two automatic light timers, two dual exhaust systems, one circular fan, two sets of hanging scales, and eight different types of fertilizer.
Although Maclean consented to a search of his shed, he denied permission to enter his house. After his arrest, Inv. Partridge obtained a search warrant and found a marijuana plant with three grow lights in Maclean’s bedroom closet.
Two bags of marijuana weighing an estimated 250 grams were found in a safe next to Maclean’s bed. Five bottles of marijuana seeds were discovered on a night stand. A tin can on a dresser contained nine pill bottles filled with marijuana seeds, along with $400 in cash. A large smoking device was recovered from a dresser drawer.
Maclean was booked into the Calhoun County Jail and released the following day on his own recognizance.
