Police discovered 49 cannabis plants worth up to £32,000 in a man's home in Caerphilly.
Geraint Merkel, 37, initially claimed he was growing the drugs for his own personal use but he later changed his story.
The emergency services were called to a property in Woodland Terrace, Abertridwr, at 8am on August 4, 2019, for an unrelated matter but when officers arrived they discovered the cannabis farm.
A sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court on Wednesday heard there were 16 plants in an upstairs bedroom, 19 plants in the landing area, nine plants in a second bedroom, and five plants in the attic.
Prosecutor Thomas Stanway said none of the plants had reached maturity and were estimated to be aged between seven and eight weeks old.
He said each of the rooms in which plants were found were kitted out with white reflective sheeting, hanging lights, and water trays with hose pipes.
The plants had a potential weight of 147oz with a potential street value between £8,820 and £32,340.
Merkel was arrested and interviewed where he claimed he suffered from anxiety and depression and grew the plants for personal use.
The defendant also admitted bypassing electricity into his home in order to assist cannabis growth.
He later pleaded guilty to cannabis production and dishonestly using electricity without authority.
Sentencing, Recorder David O'Mahony said: "You have no drug convictions and there was something of a gap in your offending when there was an offence of theft in 2011 for which you were fined."
Merkel, of Graig Terrace, Senghenydd, was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment suspended for 18 months and was ordered to carry out 120 hours unpaid work and to pay prosecution costs of £420.
