Man grew cannabis for chronic pain

A 63-year-old Perthshire man who grew his own cannabis to alleviate his chronic back and hip pain looks set to be sentenced on January 13.

Perth Sheriff Court was told previously that the prosecution put a value of over £11,000 on the 17 plants seized by police.

But that was disputed by the defence - and at the latest Perth Sheriff Court hearing, sentence was deferred to allow agreement to be reached on their worth.

James Murdoch admitted cultivating the class B drug at his home in Servite Court, Braco, on August 15, 2019.

Depute fiscal Malcolm Sweeney said police obtained a search warrant for the property and that was executed about 9am.

They discovered the cannabis plants in the accused’s bedroom.

According to police, each could potentially produce £660 of the class B drug, given their maximum yield.

That would take the total to £11,220.

Two tents had been set up, along with lighting, to facilitate the plants’ growth, the court heard.

Eleven“large jars”containing green herbal matter, with a street value of around £5000 - were also confiscated.

Murdoch gave a‘no comment’interview and made no reply when cautioned and charged, added the fiscal.

Murdoch was given nine months behind bars at Edinburgh High Court in 1995 for a similar offence of producing the controlled drug.

And he was warned at an earlier hearing that custody might“very well be the only outcome.”

Solicitor David Holmes said the accused had “ongoing significant medical issues”and used the drug for therapeutic purposes.

Murdoch was to have discovered his fate earlier this year but the coronavirus pandemic intervened.

A supplementary Community Justice Social Work report has now been requested for his appearance next month.

A prosecution motion to forfeit several items of drugs paraphernalia was continued to the same date.

His bail has been continued meantime.