31-year-old Joshua Mitchell, who was caught growing 8 cannabis plants in his home, has been fined £80.
Mitchell, of Palmerston Road in Shanklin, pleaded guilty to producing a controlled drug of Class B (Cannabis) when he appeared before Magistrates on Tuesday (25th April).
Ann Smout, prosecuting, said that on 19th April last year, officers attended an address where Mitchell was living. Once they opened the door they noticed a strong smell of cannabis.
Officers searched the house and found 2 tents and other cannabis growing equipment in a spare back bedroom. There were approximately 4 plants in each of the tents.
When questioned by officers, Mitchell admitted that the drugs were for his own personal use as opposed to them being grown to sell. He also said that the plants were worth around £2,500 and that by growing them himself he didn’t have to deal with any dealers on the street.
Police had intended to deal with the incident by means of a conditional caution, completion of the drug awareness course and payment of fines, however in February of this year they were alerted to a breach of that caution.
It was said that Mitchell – who was completing the course via video link – was online and present at the meeting but didn’t have his camera on and didn’t engage or reply to those conducting the course when he was asked to. This didn’t count as completing the course.
Mitchell had his last chance to attend the course in March but didn’t do so because of a technical issue with his phone.
The 31-year-old was last in court in June 2019 when he was sentenced for drug driving.
Defending, Michael McGoldrick, said that his client took cannabis to alleviate pain caused by osteoarthritis, a condition that Mitchell has had since a young age. He also added that a friend offered Mitchell the equipment free of charge and that he didn’t like buying from the street because of the danger it posed.
Mitchell was ordered to pay a fine of £80, costs of £85, and a surcharge fee of £34.
That it!!! we normally do at least 30 to make a bit of cash , amateurs
You idiot why do you even bother
Was anyone hurt? (Besides the young man with osteoarthritis)
Probably a lot cheaper to buy cocodamol. Not sure I believe his story.
Because taking codeine regularly is a smarter idea ?!
Doctors would probably say so and it isn’t carcinogenic.
i bet most homes on the island are growing the stuff
They took it all omg I have to start again
Looks like we all get taken up the garden path.
Well done for fining a man with arthritis. This law is clearly inhumane
For Gods sake stop these petty fines and convictions.Let the guy grow his plants for himself.What harms he doing?
Maybe you’re happy with guys like him driving around the Island drugged up but I’m fairly certain the majority of us aren’t.
Take a look at the research Catherine, there are no studies whatsoever that show cannabis impairs your driving or motor function skills, if so then millions of people round the world wouldn’t be smoking it and driving legally. I absolutely guarantee you do NOT speak for a majority. It’s an absolutely harmless plant created by God himself to alleviate alot of different pains and symptoms for things, people like you would rather we’re drugged up 24/7 on opioids…you have no idea of reality.
Do you mean apart from the fact that he could kill someone while drug driving?
What a load of stupid reasons why… and why such a low fine ? Already been drug driving, failing to comply with other requests.. unbelievable.. too many are doing this and walking around the streets smoking a joint, as if no one can smell it… pretty much everyone knows what it smells like, homegrown or skunk weed, the latter smells worse.. Stop forcing it onyto others… they walk in pubs stinking of weed, but they do not know because they are smoking it, yet the public has to suffer the smell. GET A LIFE
Smoke weed every day
YES DUDE YOU THAT
Voice of an expert!
It’s smells lovely! I don’t like the smell of cigarettes being blown in my face every time I leave the house. You get a life as you clearly don’t have one sitting on here moaning everyday about pathetic things.
I hear him on buying from the street, can he not get a medical prescription for cannabis?
Drug driving, yes him and a load of other muppets on the island, same as drink driving, no excuses, just selfish.
Those of us that don’t need the weed, hate the stink being forced on us, it’s everywhere, says a lot about society I suppose.
Seriously…a smell? Haha you can tell none of these people have ever left the island or been anywhere near a street food market or fish mongers ha.
Time to follow a large part of the modern world and legalize cannabis me thinks. It is the social drug of choice these days and used by many for medicinal use too, throughout the world.
Charging people for a bit of puff, even if they are growing it themselves, takes up too much police time and resources, and the police themselves have been known to suggest that they would rather deal with someone under the influence of cannabis, than a drunk!! Hmmm!!
I agree, only thing I dont is legalisation of cannabis; it should be decriminalised because that way it cannot be taxed to high heaven on something that is grown from a seed because they deem it criminal but it’s not only on their say so, why banks wont touch the billions of notes cannabis produces in states/countries
It’ll be legalised in the next couple of years. A decade too late.