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Kazakhstan Gardeners Investigated for Planting Marijuana in Astana

Authorities in Kazakhstan's capital Astana have launched an investigation after municipal gardeners planted hundreds of marijuana plants in the capital, a news report said.

Astana local Mihail Malorod said he was alerted to the presence of the pot by the smell of the plants and their distinct appearance, the Yahoo news site reported Thursday.

“I was walking down the street when I saw these cute plants at the junction of Auezova Street and Dzhangeldina Street. What a nice little flowerbed, I thought!,' Malorod was cited as saying in the report.

The council has since launched an investigation into the planting of the suspected marijuana by Zelenstroy, the company in charge of maintaining the city's flowerbeds, Yahoo news reported.

Possessing or growing marijuana is illegal in Kazakhstan, where thousands of hectares of pot plants grow in the Chu valley that lies to the south of the country.

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