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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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Scotland: Anti-war campaigner had cannabis factory in his home Jamie Buchan Press and Journal, Aberdeen Wednesday 30 Sep 2009 Plants, leaves and seedlings worth nearly £1,000 were discovered by police in a raid on Paul Cruickshank’s home at Peterhead. Officers also seized heating lamps and electric fans, as well as specialist magazines aimed at cannabis connoisseurs. Six plants were found behind a false wall in a hallway cupboard. Yesterday, a jury of nine women and six men unanimously found Cruickshank guilty of producing cannabis at his home at 6e Crossfolds Crescent on September 7 last year. Throughout a two-day trial at Peterhead Sheriff Court, Cruickshank freely admitted he had been growing the drug but said his human rights had been breached. Defending himself, he told the jury he used cannabis to help his depression and added the police raid on his home was like “being tortured”. “It’s a bit like torture, taking away my plants, especially because it took so long to grow them,” he said. He added: “I'm defending my right to my way of life. If I'm not harming anyone else, then it shouldn’t be a crime. “I was trying to stop smoking cigarettes and my plan was to just smoke pure cannabis instead, but the police took all my cannabis, so I'm still smoking cigarettes.” Fiscal Sandy Hutchison asked Cruickshank if he had produced cannabis at his flat. Cruickshank replied: “Aye.” Mr Hutchison told the jury: “You can’t get a clearer admission of guilt than that.” The jury took less than 10 minutes to unanimously find Cruickshank guilty. He will be sentenced next month. Cruickshank stood for the Legalise Cannabis Alliance party in Orkney at the 2005 general election. He received nearly 2% of the vote and finished just behind the Ukip candidate. The former joiner has also worked with Amnesty international and is involved in a campaign to put the UK Government on trial for war crimes. Cruickshank had argued that because the war in Iraq was illegal, no other laws in the UK should apply. Sheriff Marysia Lewis had warned him not to take that line of defence during the trial. Speaking outside the court, Cruickshank said the conviction would not stop him using cannabis. “I’ll probably have a smoke tonight,” he said. “The sheriff knocked my defence a bit when I wasn't allowed to speak about war crimes, but I was glad I was able to speak to the jury about human rights”. Cruickshank, who said he hopes to pursue a career in law, is due to be sentenced on Thursday, October 29. http://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/Article.aspx/1418128
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