A unique contribution to guerilla gardening

Although illegal, cannabis use is clearly involved in daily life in prison.

Although illegal, cannabis use is clearly involved in daily life in prison.

A Polish prisoner got into big trouble after posting a photo on Facebook of himself and a cannabis plant – from inside his prison cell in Austria.

First Marcin Zendarski smuggled a smartphone into his Austrian jail to keep in contact with friends, watch TV shows and browse the web. Then he also managed to smuggle in cannabis seeds and grow a plant secretly in his cell, in Garsten jail, Upper Austria. Proud Zendarski took a selfie with his marijuana plant and posted it on Facebook to show friends his skills and how he’d outsmarted the wardens. Very unfortunately for him and other inmates, the photo got widely shared and popular in the internet and was brought to the attention of prison guards, who called in a special commando to search the entire jail for mobile phones and any other illegal plants. They found a multitude of illegal substances, plants, and smart phones – much to the dismay of the prisoners, obviously. Funny Zendarski now has to be under special watch after receiving serious threats from other convicts – they do not seem to enjoy his sense of humor.

Maybe Austrian cops shouldn’t worry so much. In neighboring Switzerland they acknowledge that marijuana use helps keep prisons calm and safe. The Swiss prison guards agree that marijuana use among inmates is a good thing. A 2013 published in the  “International Journal of Drug Policy” estimates that 50 to 80 percent of inmates in Swiss prisons use marijuana. Prison staff told researchers they found marijuana to be a relatively safe drug and that cracking down on consumption would have more negative effects than positive ones. Prisoners and guards had similar opinions on marijuana use, with both groups describing the effects of marijuana calming and a way to decrease the traumatic prison experience.  Negative consequences in some people included sleepiness, social isolation, and decreased perception of danger. But inmates and guards also said that more restrictive regulation could increase fear, trafficking, and a shift to harder drug use. While prisoners estimated that up to 80 percent of prisoners use marijuana, guards reported a lower estimate at 50 percent. 

Obviously, posting a selfie on Facebook with a cannabis plant growing in a prison cell was a stupid thing to do – but we kind of admire the deed itself. We suggest that the guy goes pro when he get out and develops his new strain: Jail Break. Soft Secrets will be happy to review it – if he survives playing his Polish joke.