Boy's Story of Growing 'Medicine' Leads to Pot Bust

An 8-year-old boy telling stories about helping a "farmer" grow "special medicine that can cure anything at all" inadvertently brought down a large marijuana grow-op last week in Vermont, the Barre-Montpelier Times Argus reports. Police say the second-grader described what sounded like marijuana plants and said the farmer would give them to "anyone who needs the medicine." Having been successfully tipped off by the boy, police arrested Windsor resident Steven Mann and his girlfriend Leona Hunt last Friday, according to WCAX. Hunt is the boy's mother.

Police say they found 50 marijuana plants with a street value of around $75,000 growing in two rooms of the couple's home, along with cash and magic mushrooms. Mann allegedly admitted to selling marijuana, mostly in New Hampshire. But Hunt's son told police people were constantly coming to their home and calling Mann, who he said had a "green thumb." The Department for Children and Families took custody of the boy and is investigating the case due to the location of the alleged grow-op in the rooms next to the boy's bedroom. Mann is facing up to 15 years in prison. He has no prior criminal record. (More weird crimes stories.)