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A north Wales man has admitted giving cannabis to
sick people to ease their pain.
Source: BBC
Online
Pub Date:
Thursday 15 January 2004
A north Wales
man has admitted giving cannabis to sick people to ease their pain.
Appearing at
Chester Crown Court on Thursday, Jeffrey Ditchfield admitted he offered a
medicinal strength cannabis to people who could prove to him that they have a
medical condition.
He told the
court he just wanted to help people.
The 43-year-old
who owns a shop on Water Street in Rhyl denies possessing the drug with intent
to supply.
He told the
court he was not involved with cannabis until three years ago, when a friend
with multiple sclerosis said it helped her.
He then began to
research its benefits and discovered much of what was being sold as cannabis on
the streets contained very little cannabis, sometimes as low as five to eight
per cent.
He claimed it
was sometimes bulked out with plastic, diesel, coffee, or henna.
He told the
court his view on cannabis had changed, and he felt that purer cannabis should
be available to help sick people.
The jury were sent home for the night and
will return to court on Friday morning to consider their verdict.