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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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UK: Man Grew Dope for Tooth Trouble
Eastbourne Herald
Wednesday 19 Apr 2006 A drug user who set up a mini cannabis factory in his house has escaped jail after claiming he did it to cope with toothache. Andrew Polley, 44, of Blatchington Road, Seaford, was arrested after police armed with a search warrant raided his home. They found his property reeking of cannabis and discovered 29 plants in an upstairs room, complete with hydroponics equipment. Prosecutor Mark Kateley told Lewes magistrates, "On the morning of Saturday February 25 police attended the defendant's address. "They executed a warrant under the Misuse of Drugs Act while Mr Polley was at the premises, together with his wife. "Both of them were very co-operative and in due course officers were led up to the rear of the property and there they found essentially a small hydroponics set with various plants growing. "There was a very powerful and pungent odour of cannabis throughout the property and there was some equipment there including plant food, a heat lamp, fan and water pump. "There were about 29 cannabis plants in total, which were seized and Mr Polley was arrested. "He basically told police it was for his personal use. He said he had no choice as he had no income as he had been abandoned by the State. "He said his wife was aware of the presence of cannabis but was not involved at all with cultivation." Jobless Polley admitted a charge of cultivating cannabis and appeared for sentence on Wednesday. The court heard he had previous convictions for drugs matters in 1991 for which he was given a two-year conditional discharge. Shah Amin, defending, said, "He has been fully co-operative. "It is clearly a difficult situation he finds himself in and he accepts the seriousness of this matter. "He accepts his wrongdoing and that this was a foolhardy attempt on his part. "He is a heroin user and has a long-term problem. He has also suffered long-term problems with tooth decay and has been to the doctor and been referred to the dentist. "The dentist then says it is too difficult to deal with and says he needs to go to hospital. "He thought he could alleviate the problems with that by using cannabis. "He wants to emphasise this was not as sophisticated as it seems. He is addressing his substance misuse and accepts there is an issue in relation to alcohol misuse." Sentencing, magistrates said the drugs set-up had been sophisticated, but said they accepted it had been small-scale and that he had co-operated with police. They imposed a six-month prison sentence but suspended it for two years. Polley was also made the subject of a 12-month community order in which he will be supervised by probation officers. Magistrates also ordered him to pay £43 costs and ordered the destruction of the cannabis plants.
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