Luke Anthony Walters, 39, was charged after police intercepted a parcel that contained more than 997 grams of alpha-PVP bought from the Chinese website Crystal Rows.

Walters had claimed he didn't know how to use a laptop or make online purchases when he asked a friend to order the drugs for him in April 2015.

He gave his friend $272, but when the order didn't go through he handed the man about $3000 for a bigger purchase and told him to have it sent to Walters' address.

Walters told his friend he was going to turn the alpha-PVP into "flakka", a highly-addictive synthetic drug, and sell it.

He spoke of cooking up the drug and said buyers "lined up" for the product. Police showed up at his apartment soon after.

Justice Darryl Rangiah found Walters guilty of conspiracy to traffic the drug after an ACT Supreme Court trial in April this year.

In his sentencing remarks, published on Friday, the judge said the offence was serious and Walters was motivated by greed.

"The offender was the instigator and architect of the conspiracy and he provided the money to purchase the [alpha‐PVP]. The offender was to take the drug after it was imported and was to receive the proceeds of its sale."

He said the potential for harm to the community was high and the fact the drug never made it onto the market only diminished Walters' culpability "to a minor extent".

A pre-sentence report said Walters developed a chronic back injury and psychiatric problems after he was involved in two major motor vehicle crashes. He was assessed at medium to low risk of reoffending with good prospects of rehabilitation.

Justice Rangiah sentenced him to two-and-a-half years' imprisonment, with a 15 month non-parole period.

He will be eligible for release in August next year.

His co-offender was handed an intensive corrections order after a magistrate found he was led to the offence by Walters and motivated by "doing a favour for a mate" rather than financial gain.