cultivating 117 marijuana plants on Government property.

It took the six-man, six-woman jury just over an hour to reach their majority verdict.

Parris Smith, of South Terrance, was charged with cultivating cannabis between December 1, 1995 and March 7, 1996 in a garden behind his home. The property behind the house, near the Victor Scott School, is owned by the Government.

He was arrested after an early morning Police search of Smith's home and backyard turned up cannabis plants growing in 44 pots, in a fenced area, within a garden.

Throughout the two-day trial Smith maintained that he never planted the cannabis.

He testified that he lied to Police during an interview in which he accepted responsibility for cultivating the cannabis.

"I was scared for my family.. .,'' he said. "I was scared because I'm a Rasta man and they would be quick to judge me.

"I was down, I was in a Police station. It was the first time I was in one, it's not a nice feeling being down there,'' he added. "I wanted to stop it but I had come that far.'' During the Police question-and-answer interview, Smith admitted growing the cannabis and that it was for his personal use.

He also told Police that he had been growing the drugs since that Christmas and that he knew that it was an offence to cultivate cannabis.

During cross examination yesterday by Crown counsel Charlene Scott, Smith admitted that he was given three opportunities to change or alter the contents of the interview.

And he conceded that he was informed on several occasions that he was not obliged to say anything to the Police.