I'm Not a Pothead': PA Man Arrested & Charged After Growing Marijuana on Church Property

A Pennsylvania man has admitted to growing marijuana -- an action that landed him in legal hot-water. To add intrigue to the story, Jason Como, 28, of Mercer County, apparently cultivated his two pot plants on church property. He was arrested and charged after officials at Beloved Disciples Church reported their suspicions that the drug was being grown on their land.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has more about the events that unfolded.

Authorities found a small path that led from the plants to the back yard of a nearby home. Police said they contacted Mr. Como and that he confessed to growing the plants.

Mr. Como was charged with manufacturing and cultivating a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

In an interview with WPXI-TV, Como explained how the situation unfolded, claiming that he thought the land was his own and that he never intended to involve the church.

"I put it right out here because this is my land," he said. "I had some seeds and I threw them out in the back yard. I didn’t know they were going to grow so big."

The accused then went on to admit that, while he spokes pot, he contends that he's "not a pothead." While Como is aware that growing the plants was illegal, he defended himself by proclaiming, "I wasn't selling it."

And, Como has a message for those who might interpret his pot-growing on church property as a slight against the house of worship. He's a born-again Christian and was recently baptized in January. Thus, he contends, there was no ill will.