MAN GREW CANNABIS TO RELIEVE BACK PAIN

A MIDDLE-aged Norwich man who grew 8000 [UKP] worth of cannabis plants to
relieve his back pain, has been spared jail by a judge.

Norwich Crown court ws told that 60 cannabis plants were found at the home
of 50-year-old scaffolder Robert Webster after firefighters and police
attended a fire at his home.

Stephen Spence, prosecuting, said that cannabis plants worth 8319 [UKP] were
found in the bathroom of his home.

Mr Spence said that it was not suggested that Webster was growing the plants
on a commercial basis.

Webster, of Sorrell House, Bowthorpe, admitted possession of cannabis. He
was given a seven month prison sentence suspended for 12 months and fined
500 [UKP].

Sentencing him yesterday Judge Paul Downes accepted that Webster had not
been supplying the drugs and there were "exceptional circumstances."

He said a condition of the suspended sentence was that Webster switched to
herbal remedies.

Checked-by: Melodi Cornett