A Perthshire man who grew thousands of pounds worth of his own cannabis to alleviate chronic back and hip pain has been warned he could face a jail term.
Perth Sheriff Court was told police seized 17 plants, capable of producing more than £11,000 worth of the class B drug, after obtaining a search warrant for his home.
Officers also recovered 11 “large jars” containing green herbal matter with a street value of around £5000.
Sixty-two-year-old James Murdoch, of Servite Court, Braco, was given nine months behind bars at Edinburgh High Court in 1995 for a similar offence.
He will discover his fate on January 8 after a background report has been prepared.
That would ensure all options for sentencing were explored although Sheriff Richard McFarlane said custody might “very well be the only outcome.”
Murdoch admitted producing the controlled drug at his home on August 15 this year.
Depute fiscal Malcolm Sweeney said police executed the search warrant about 9am and discovered 17 cannabis plants in his bedroom.
According to police, each could potentially produce £660 of cannabis given their maximum yield.
Two tents had been set up, along with lighting, to facilitate the plants’ growth.
The 11 jars contained around £5000 worth of the drug.
“He gave a ‘no comment’ interview and made no reply when cautioned and charged,” added the fiscal.
Solicitor Paul Ralph said his client had “ongoing significant medical issues” and used the drug for therapeutic purposes.
The sheriff noted the “significant” value of the drugs recovered by police after obtaining the search warrant - and the accused’s previous conviction for a similar offence.
The prosecution and defence will have discussions regarding the items of drugs paraphernalia to be forfeited before the next court date.
