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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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UK: No jail for pain-relief drug user
BBC Online
Friday 10 Mar 2006 An arthritis sufferer has avoided jail for cultivating cannabis after he told a judge he would stop growing the drug. Police found 20 cannabis plants growing in the Cheshire home of 73-year-old Leslie Williams in January. He was given a two-year conditional discharge at Warrington Crown Court on Friday and ordered to pay UKP192 costs. Williams, of Palacefields, Runcorn, had pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing at Runcorn Magistrates' Court to producing a Class C drug on January 27. On Friday, Judge David Hale warned the pensioner he would face serious consequences if he grew the drug in the future, telling him: "Never be so stupid again." "The important thing is Mr Williams has given up using cannabis, a very wise decision on his behalf," said the judge. The court heard that police broke into his house and found the cannabis plants growing in a greenhouse set up in his bedroom. Williams, a former merchant seaman who has suffered four strokes, had been cautioned in May 2005 for cultivating the plants. He told police he grew cannabis for pain relief because he suffers from chronic arthritis. Speaking outside court, Williams said: "I was expecting to go to prison for three months so I feel elated. "I think the law should be changed so people can smoke cannabis for medicine. I've been worried out of my head about this." He said he would never grow cannabis again but that he would smoke it if offered it by other people. "I just don't want to get into any more trouble," he added.
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