Mid Wales man grew £10,000 worth of cannabis to ease back pain

Dean Allen could not afford to buy cannabis so started growing his own, making cakes, butter and selling some to friends.

Allen, 40, of Cae Howell, Montgomery, admitted producing cannabis, possessing the drug with intent to supply, and abstracting electricity.

At Mold Crown Court he received an eight-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months.

He was placed on supervision and ordered to carry out 250 hours unpaid work.

The court was told that he had since been back to his doctor because of his back pain and was now using legal medication again.

Judge, Mr Recorder Wyn Lloyd Jones, said that it had been quite an elaborate growing system, with a substantial potential yield valued at about £10,000 on the street.

He had also abstracted electricity which was an extremely dangerous and stupid thing to do, the judge said.

"The reason this all started was because of chronic back pain," he said.

"What you did was go about your problems in completely the wrong way."

Prosecuting barrister Anna Pope said that police searched the address on November 27 last year.

There was a growing tent with lights and ventilation in the utility room, a propagator in a small bedroom which contained a child's cot and a further growing area in a locked shed at the back of the garden.

There was a mother plant and nine smaller plants.

The prosecution put the potential yield at more than £10,000 but that was disputed by the defendant who said the smaller plants would not have produced the same yield as the larger mother plant.

Interviewed, he said that he had acute back pain and started growing cannabis because of that.

He told how he would use it to make cakes and butter.

Oliver King, defending, said that his client had no previous convictions.

He was in terrible pain because of slipped discs and that was why he started, not to make money.

It was for himself but he agreed that he would supply to close friends and associates who knew he was growing it.