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Glen Jeffrey Evans, 54, grew the marijuana at his 31-year-old wife Hoang My Hanh's home in the province's capital Phan Thiet, municipal police said Wednesday.
A total 476 cannabis plants were seized as evidence, the tallest ones at around two meters, local media reported.
Evans said he had cultivated the plants as medicine, providing a slip issued by Canadian authorities stating he was allowed to plant no more than 25 cannabis trees for this purpose. However, the document holds no legal value in Vietnam.
An investigation is ongoing.
Cannabis is on the list of narcotics forbidden in Vietnam. Those growing cannabis in small scale could be fined VND2-5 million ($86.16-215.40). Farmers found cultivating 500 to 3,000 plants could face jail terms of six months to three years, while those working on bigger scale could spend up to seven years in jail.
Worldwide, increasing numbers of countries and localities are legalizing medical or recreational use of marijuana, including almost 40 states in the United States.
