[Sativa]

The 200 marijuana plants found inside Boris Petrov’s Plymouth home were going to be used for baths and making tea, Petrov testified Tuesday. They were the only ways he could escape the chronic pain he felt from his assortment of injuries, he said.

The 57-year-old Petrov told the jury hearing his drug trial he was growing four different kinds of marijuana in July 2005 to find out which type worked best for his pain.

The marijuana was packaged and labeled so he could distinguish the different types, he said. And he weighed all the marijuana to know which type produced the most, he said.

None of the marijuana, he testified, was grown or packaged to be sold.

Petrov’s testimony came in the second day of his trial in Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas.

He and his 76-year-old mother-in-law Lydia Gurinovich were charged with a list of drug charges, including felony offenses that carry mandatory sentences of five years in prison, after borough police found the drugs inside their home in July 2005.

Assistant District Attorney Sam Sanguedolce is trying to show the jury how Petrov and Gurinovich were using a high-tech marijuana manufacturing facility inside the East Main Street home to grow and sell the drugs.

Petrov’s attorney, Demetrius Fannick, is trying to convince the jury all the drugs in the home were for Petrov’s personal use and not for sale. That would prevent Petrov from being convicted of the felony charges and sentenced to the mandatory sentences.

Gurinovich’s attorney, Gerald Wassil, is arguing his client had absolutely no involvement with the marijuana. Petrov on Tuesday told the jury the same thing.

Gurinovich is expected to testify this afternoon.

Testimony could conclude today and Judge Peter Paul Olszewski Jr. could send the jury to deliberate.

Newshawk: CoZmO - 420Magazine.com
Source: The Times Leader (PA)
Author: DAVID WEISS
Contact: dweiss@timesleader.com
Copyright: 2007 The Times Leader
Website: TimesLeader.com : Northeastern Pennsylvania news