Cannabis cultivator claims personal use

Growing cannabis landed a 67-year-old man before the courts on Thursday – even if he planned to use it medicinally as he told a magistrates’ court.

Now Edwy McGlean Small, from St Matthias, Christ Church has been placed on a bond to keep the peace and be on his best behaviour for the next nine months.

If he breaches the order which was imposed by District ‘A’ Chief Magistrate Ian Weekes he will have to pay a $1,500 fine immediately on his appearance in court or spend 120 days at HMP Dodds.

The sentence was placed on the cultivation charge, while Small was reprimanded and discharged on the charges of possession, possession with intent to supply and possession with intent to traffic cannabis.

The drugs, which weighed 8.4 pounds and had an estimated street value of $13,800, were discovered on Wednesday when lawmen, acting on a tip, executed a search warrant at Small’s home. A total of 39 plants were found in his backyard.

A first-time offender, Small told the Chief Magistrate: “I don’t know what to say. I just throw myself at the mercy of the court.”

He then explained that the marijuana was for his own use as he uses it for tea to help with asthma and to smoke.