Cannabis grower's 'doomed project'

[grace]

Cannabis grower's 'doomed project'

swansea.co.uk

22 December 2008

http://www.thisissouthwales.co.uk/news/Can...il/article.html

 

A FATHER from Port Talbot who suffers from an inherited nerve disease attempted to grow cannabis plants to help treat his pain.

Neath Magistrates Court was told that Phillip John Williams, of St Asaph Drive, has a condition called Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease.

He had taken cannabis as a form of pain relief for the past ten years and thought he would save money by growing his own, according to his solicitor Gary Newbury.

 

However, Mr Newbury added it was "an enterprise doomed to failure" because all the plants Williams had given to him were of the same sex and would never have cross-pollinated.

 

Williams pleaded guilty in court to offences of producing seven cannabis plants and to possessing a quantity of the class C drug.

 

He also admitted possessing a quantity of amphetamine, a class B drug.

 

Jenni Harris, prosecuting, said the drugs were found after police executed a search warrant at Williams's address earlier this month.

"Officers found in the garden shed seven immature cannabis plants", she said. Ms Harris said police also discovered four grammes of cannabis resin in Williams's bedroom and one gramme of amphetamine in his car. She added that Williams used a hydroponics system, a method of growing plants without soil, to try and cultivate the plants. The court also heard that 38-year-old Williams had previous convictions but none for drug offences. Mr Newbury said Williams's disease left him "effectively crippled".

 

"He has problems with his walking and had done for the best part of his life", added Mr Newbury.

He said the cannabis was used "over and above" Williams' medication to alleviate his pain.

While the amphetamine, which Mr Newbury said Williams used only occasionally, was to help him get up and about.

He added that Williams had not tried to gain financially from the plants and said: "It was purely for his own use and for pain relief."

For the offence of producing the cannabis plants, Williams was fined £100 and for possessing amphetamine he was fined £50.

No separate penalty was issued for the cannabis possession offence.

Magistrates ordered all drugs be destroyed.

 

Williams was also ordered to pay costs of £60 and a victim surcharge of £15.