Teacher arrested for growing marijuana

OCEAN SPRINGS, Miss. - Patrick Walker, 51, posted a $15,000 bond Thursday after being arrested for possession and cultivation of marijuana in his home. Walker is a teacher at St. Martin High School, which is not far from where he lives.

Lt. Curtis Spiers is the commander of the Narcotics Task Force of Jackson County. He said his team got a tip that Walker was growing the drug.

"We found what we suspected. Found marijuana was being grown here. Over a half dozen plants that were actually grown, some plants that had recently been harvested, and was packaged for use."

According to police, Walker told officers he was growing the pot to use as medicine for an illness.

"Regardless of the debate over whether marijuana can be used for medicinal purposes, in the state of Mississippi it's still against the law to possess and it's still against the law to grow it and it will get you up to 30 years and a million dollar bond."

Lt. Spiers said his team found plenty of evidence in the home other than the actual plants.

"We found assorted instruments that are used grow lights, nutrients, fertilizer, small planters for growing plants in, all things that indicate he had a pretty successful marijuana production facility."

Lt. Spiers said their investigation does not show any link between Walker's drug habit and the school where he taught.