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UK: Cannabis crime of man with sickness

Sheffield Star

Monday 29 Aug 2005

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A MAN known as Joshua Ja High Priest has been jailed for growing dozens of
cannabis plants to treat a painful medical condition.

Priest, who has 34 previous drug convictions dating back to the early
1980s, put the leaves in everything from soup to tea in a bid to treat the
symptoms of his sickle cell anaemia.

Police found 37 plants along with lighting, watering and heating equipment
at his flat in Exeter Drive, Broomhall, Sheffield Crown Court heard.

Priest, aged 47, who changed his name from Robert Wilson several years ago,
later told police he put the drug in tea and soup and even chewed the leave
to relieve pain.

Sickle cell anaemia causes small blood clots which cause painful episodes
called sickle cell pain crises.

Jailing Priest for 15 months, Judge Peter Jones said: "I accept you have a
medical condition and you use your yield as medical relief.

"But you knew what you were doing was wrong and in the past it has led to
prison sentences.

"You are a mature man and you continue to ignore the law and it seems you
won't change your ways."

Priest has criminal convictions dating back to 1976 when he was aged 18,
and drugs offences since he was 23.

In May 2004 he received a nine month jail term suspended for 18 months for
allowing his shop in Broomhall Street to be used for drug dealing.

David Webster, defending, said: "He uses cannabis on a daily basis. It goes
in everything: tea, soup, alcoholic drinks and he even chews it.

"It may be that its medical use is a placebo but a brief internet search
shows there is a lot of research about cannabis use in relation to the
treatment of painful episodes of sickle cell anaemia."

Priest admitted cultivating cannabis plants and was jailed for six months.

He was jailed for a further nine months for breaching the suspended
sentence for the previous offence.

 

 

 

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