Grew cannabis in flat to top up prescription
A MAN cultivated 19 cannabis plants in a St Peter Port flat without a licence to supplement what he was already being prescribed.
John Nathan, 44, admitted the offence when he appeared in the Royal Court.
Crown Advocate Chris Dunford told the court how officers had executed a drug search warrant at the defendant’s home, where he lived alone, at 7am on a Thursday in February last year.
They found two hydroponic tents with a total of 19 cannabis plants growing in them, the tallest of which was 20cm. The operation was taking place with the help of lighting, fans, a dehumidifier and a digital thermometer. There was a strong smell of cannabis in the flat and officers found notes that the defendant had made on how to grow the drug.
He made full admissions in interview in a written statement. He said he was growing to supplement the cannabis that he was already getting on prescription.
Advocate Dunford said the defendant, to his credit, had saved time by accepting that the plants were cannabis, which meant they did not need to be analysed.
Nathan was born in London but had moved to Guernsey at a young age. He had previously been convicted for cultivating cannabis in 2006, and 2012, and had served prison sentences both times.
In 2019 he was convicted of withholding his mobile phone pin code in an investigation which also related to cannabis cultivation, and he received a community service sentence.
Defending, Advocate Samuel Steel said that while this had been a sophisticated growing operation, only his client had been involved.
It was cultivation for self-medication, with no evidence of intent to supply.
He had been paying £300 per month for 30g of the drug on prescription, but found the cost prohibitive and needed more. The cultivation was being carefully managed, but Nathan was not an expert.
A cannabis user for more than half his life, he had believed that the drug was the only way to manage his mental health issues, but now realised there were alternatives and had detoxed fully from substances since his arrest.
Judge Catherine Fooks said that the amount of cannabis being cultivated was significant.
Nathan’s three previous convictions were an aggravating factor.
He was sent to prison for two years and three months.
Charges of possessing cannabis, and another class B rated substance, dihydrocodeine, which Nathan had denied, were dismissed when the prosecution offered no evidence.
