Man avoids jail over cannabis growing
AN UNEMPLOYED Hemsworth man who was caught growing more than 40 cannabis plants in his home has escaped a jail sentence.
Dean Andrew Dickens, 41, of Willow Drive, was caught by police growing the class B drug at his home on December 12 last year.
Amanda Harris, prosecuting, said police visited the house and were overwhelmed by the strong smell of cannabis. They found 44 plants.
Dickens admitted growing the plants to officers and was arrested.
He pleaded guilty to producing the drugs at Pontefract Magistrates’ Court on Monday.
Mitigating, Chris Morton, said that it was a significant number of plants, but that it was relatively small scale in comparison to other instances of cannabis production.
Mr Morton said: “The plants were cultivated for the defendant’s own use.
“He is a single man living alone. He suffers from ADHD and was only diagnosed as an adult. It effects him significantly.”
“Cannabis smoking is the only thing that gives him respite from the symptoms that have ruled his life.”
A report to assess Dickens for a suitable punishment stated the condition had not been medically diagnosed, and was based on what Dickens had read in self help books.
Sentencing him to a 12-month community order and 100-hours unpaid work, chairman of the magistrates John Fisher said the punishment was a direct alternative to custody.
He said: “Prison is always an option when you get to this stage.”
Dickens was also ordered to pay costs of £85.
All plants were ordered to be destroyed.
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Comments
There are 4 comments to this article
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PeterReynolds
Wednesday, February 22, 2012 at 08:13 AMWhy don't we try taking a completely new approach to cannabis? Around three million people in Britain are regular users and whatever we do we're not going to be able to stop them. We waste billions every year on police, court and prison resources when a large proportion of society uses cannabis without any problem at all. In fact, the only real problem with cannabis is that it's illegal. The risks to health are very small - much, much less than alcohol or tobacco. By a recent analysis of mortality, hospital admissions, toxicity and propensity to psychosis, cannabis is nearly 3000 times safer than alcohol. Why not introduce a tax and regulate system and realise the benefits? That way we'd have a properly regulated supply chain with no criminals involved, no theft of electricity, no human trafficking, no destruction of property and disruption of neighbourhoods. Then there would be some control over this huge market. There would be thousands of new jobs, sales would be from licensed outlets to adults only with guaranteed quality and safety. Then our police could start going after some real wrongdoing instead of trying to fight a crime that exists only because of a misguided government policy. Also, very importantly, science now proves that cannabis is one of the safest and most effective medicines for a wide range of conditions. While the government promotes the lie that "there is no medicinal value in cannabis", it has granted an unlawful monopoly to GW Pharmaceuticals to grow 20 tonnes a year for, you guessed it, medicine! Cannabis Law Reform (CLEAR) published independent research on 14th September 2011 that shows a cannabis tax and regulate regime would provide a net gain to the UK exchequer of £6.7 billion per annum as well as reducing all health and social harms. The only thing that keeps the present absurd status quo in place is weak politicians corrupted by Big Booze and the GW Pharma monopoly. Go to the CLEAR website for full details: www.clear-uk.org
cshaws
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 07:06 PMSo where are this poor chaps victims?? There are none, but there is one beneficiary - himself ! The victim is us the taxpayer and we are a victim of this crazy law. Mr Dickens is now also a victim as he will not now be able to grow his own medicine in the privacy of his own home. Now he will probably have to support organised crime by buying poor quality herb off the streets. Growing your own medicine is a dangerous option unless, of course, you are a friend of the government. In this case you can grow 60,000 high quality, high potency cannabis plants on a science park in kent with impunity. Not only this, you can also extract all the active ingredients, bottle it and sell it as a 'safe and effective' medicine, worldwide, at huge profit. The war against cannabis users has only one purpose - to protect the huge profits of Pharmaceutical companies and their investors (including MPs). We are being conned and deprived of a valuable medicine which the government deem dangerous unless you have a licence when it magically becomes 'safe and effective'
TheWisestMaster
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 02:26 PMWho was this man hurting? How can we allow this madness to continue? Surely there is another way? Cannabis is without question considerably safer than legally available alcohol. Why are wasting our precious resources on prohibiting Cannabis? Its pretty much non toxic, and the very very vague links to MH problems (which coincidently mankind has suffered from well since before the days of skunk) just don’t even begin to warrant punishment. It’s completely unjustified. The 3-4 million or so regular cannabis users don't deserve to be demonised and vilified, they choose something safer than Alcohol, why are punishing them? If this chap had been brewing his own booze would he be in court? If he’d died drinking it would it even get reported? This chap was growing non-toxic cannabis for himself, seemingly causing no harm to anyone. Please can we start focusing our very limited criminal justice resources on crime that hurts people? Please support a change in the law and help stop this madness. Tens of thousands of young people have their lives ruined each and every year by our drug laws - their potential careers in tatters, a badge of dishonour for life, lets work together to save them. Google CLEAR - Cannabis Law Reform to help the cause.
DanFord
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 12:15 PMI applaud the fact that this gentleman is still free to carry out his life without being locked up. However he will now be without his medication and the Police will be watching him so he won't be able to grow any more. We really need to get the law changed so that Mr Dickens and many other people will be able to get the medication they need. We are 12 years into a new century and we still carry on with the barbaric practice of punishing people for consuming a a natural plant. When will we PLEASE allow consenting adults to partake of whatever herbs they may choose?
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