Cultivated cannabis

By Cornish Guardian | Wednesday, February 01, 2012, 08:00

A PENSIONER who has been a cannabis user for 50 years "eats and drinks" the drug, Truro Crown Court heard on Friday.

Kenneth Matthews, 67, of Grimscott Estate, Grimscott, near Bude, was given an eight-month prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, at Truro Crown Court on Friday.

Matthews must also comply with an electronically tagged nightly curfew, from 7pm to 7am, for three months.

"Taking cannabis in that way is a bit unusual," said Judge Christopher Harvey Clark, QC.

"But you have grasped the nettle, as Mr Hilliard [Barry Hilliard, for the defence] says, and have already taken steps to rid yourself of cannabis in your system."

Matthews pleaded guilty to cultivating cannabis.

Joss Ticehurst, for the prosecution, said that officers who visited Matthews' home found a total of 65 plants, cannabis leaf material and flowering heads. He used it to make tea. The potential yield of skunk was valued at £5,950 and the other £2,566.

Mr Hilliard said that it was very small scale and amateurish cultivation.

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Comments

I would have thought that a Police Caution would have been more than adequate in this case. My reason for stating this is that quite often burglars are not even charged. Have a pimple in your tyre though or go a couple of miles an hour over the speed limit and its a completely different matter and nowadays it is often said that only middle class decent people are prosecuted.

One infamous case that I heard about was that of a prolific Plymouth "joyrider". He stole a car yet again and was driving at 60mph in a 30mph zone and running red traffic lights. He was only caught because of traffic congestion. Now in my book he'd be guilty of theft of a motor vehicle, reckless driving, driving without insurance, driving without a licence and exceeding the speed limit. Allegedly the judge said "This is a really serious matter so I'm going to increase your three month suspended prison sentence to a six month suspended prison sentence". In other words the man was let off and later he was seen laughing once he go outside the court.

Cannabis is highly recommended in the Extra Pharmacopoeia of 1896 and allegedly Queen Victoria used to use it. Prohibitionists have of course made it illegal. Even Coca-Cola has been denatured as it no longer contains the active ingredient. In this nanny state I am frequently amazed that I can still buy Indian Tonic Water but "they" are probably working on it. Over here you cannot even buy travel sickness patches as they are prescription only (the great advantage of patches is that they cannot be retched-up)

Possibly it is felt that Cannabis produces a dopey idle workforce but if there are no jobs or if people are retired what is the problem?

By DaveyofCrnwal at 13:55 on 07/02/12
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Words fail me. This man consumed cannabis in his own home harming nobody. Who does the judge think he is giving an senior citizen an electronic tag and a curfew?? What does he think the guy is gonna do??

Cannabis is a harmless herb, not a drug. Time to light a fat one in this guys honour.

By GOTTALUVKAYA at 18:35 on 03/02/12
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End the prohibition of cannabis.

Minimise all health and social harms.

Pull the rug from under organised crime.

Boost the UK economy by up to £9.3 billion per annum.

Permit the use of one of the safest and most effective medicines known to man.

By PoetPeter at 11:20 on 03/02/12
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How disgusting our authorities should waste tax payers money prosecuting an OAP for growing a plant that is far less dangerous than both legal alcohol and tobacco, and even has medicinal qualities.

M Matthews has enjoye this wonderful herb for 50 years and I hope he continues to enjoy it; I'm sure he just told the judge what he wanted to hear to avoid being sent to gaol.

By ChrisBovey at 23:01 on 02/02/12
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at a time when we can not clean hospitals , when we can not keep abusers in prison and when we can not walk safe in any city any night because we can not afford the investment our police have so much time and money they can waste it by going out looking for cannabis a non toxic non addictive and according to all the latest advice from G,W pharma a very safe drug, and they would know they grow 300 tons of the super skunk cannabis and sell it all over the world with a government approved licence when was the last time the police closed down an home brewery for producing one of the most harmful substances know to man alcohol ? in fact when was the last time the police closed down a bar for selling drink to a drunk? i think the chief constables all over the U,K need to get some priority's in order instead of wasting any more money looking for hash

By saintsinner at 23:00 on 02/02/12
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