1,000-square metre plantation of cannabis sativa (hemp) in Dos Hermanas

Two brothers, M.P.M. and F.P.M. owners of a 1,000-square metre plantation of cannabis sativa (hemp) in Dos Hermanas (Sevilla) claimed in court last week that the bushes, planted in perfectly straight lines and equipped with a drip irrigation system, provided shade for their 80 valuable fighting cocks and chickens. They denied cultivating the hemp for drugs and explained that the plants were both male and female unlike those grown for cannabis, which are exclusively female. The defence counsel for the brothers, also maintained that according to an initial valuation the 1,200 kilos of plants were worth only 231 euros, although a later estimate placed it at 2,800 euros. If found guilty the brothers face sentences of up to nine years.