Fact Check
Claim: A resident of Ulladulla, Australia, entered a cannabis plant into a local garden competition’s tomato category and secured first place.
Rating: Labeled Satire
An online rumor began circulating in September claiming that an 83-year-old Australian man won first place in a local gardening contest after entering a cannabis plant disguised as a tomato.
The story first appeared on a Facebook page named The Local Situation, accompanied by an image purportedly showing the senior gardener proudly posing with his prize-winning “tomato” plant. The post, which set its scene in the coastal New South Wales town of Ulladulla, even included a fake quote from a judge named Marjorie Budd, who allegedly stated that the panel was so captivated by the plant’s lush leaves and rich aroma that nobody bothered to look for actual tomatoes.
The tale quickly spread to other corners of Facebook, prompting readers to investigate whether the bizarre story held any weight.
In reality, the claim is entirely satirical. The Local Situation is a social media page dedicated to publishing fabricated stories with an Australian backdrop, describing its mission as sharing “real local issues with a satirical edge.” The page’s creator confirmed via email that the post was completely fictional and created as a form of social commentary. The author explained that they frequently use cannabis-related satire to advocate for medical driving rights and the legalization of the plant in Australia—where recreational use remains illegal in New South Wales and across most of the country.
Digital forensic analysis further debunked the post. OpenAI’s detection tools confirmed that the accompanying image was generated using artificial intelligence, a fact also admitted by the page’s administrator. Visual giveaways included warped facial features in the background and illegible text on name tags. Additionally, AI text-detection software indicated that the original post’s written content was entirely AI-generated.
Legitimate local news outlets have published no reports of such an event occurring. However, real Australian archives do feature actual court cases where individuals caught growing cannabis attempted to excuse their illegal crops by claiming they were just growing tomatoes—or coincidentally growing tomatoes nearby.