A starting point of four years imprisonment for cultivating a commercial quantity of cannabis for sale is manifestly excessive where the offending involves only six productive plants in a relatively small hydroponic set-up, a modest potential yield of $6,600-$8,200, no connection to a larger criminal organisation, and a first foray into commercial cultivation; three years is more appropriate. A court cannot fix a default period of imprisonment for non-compliance with a community service condition at the time of sentencing under the Sentencing Act 2017 (SA), as s 115 requires assessment after breach.
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