A drug dealer caught with a holdall in his kitchen stuffed with more than £16,000 of cannabis was jailed for 13 months today.
Graeme Aitchison, described as "a member of a sub-culture that thinks cannabis is fine", had just received a delivery of the class B controlled drug, Falkirk Sheriff Court was told.
Prosecutor Cheryl Clark said intelligence had been received in January 2020 that Aitchison, 33, was involved in the supply of cannabis from a house in Hallglen, Falkirk.
Police staged a 6.30am raid on the property on January 29th that year.
Efforts were made to force the front door, and when police entered Aitchison made his way upstairs and into the main bedroom, where he closed the door.
Ms Clark said: "He was out of breath and appeared nervous."
Aitchison told police: "It's just a bag in the kitchen - it's mine."
The bag, a large black holdall, was found, containing several separate bags of cannabis and a set of scales.
The drugs were weighed and analysed and found to be nearly one-and-a-half kilos cannabis worth £16,320.
Aitchison, now of Langlees, Falkirk, pleaded guilty on indictment to being concerned in the supply of the drug.
Solicitor Gordon Addison, defending, said Aitchison had clearly had "a pretty recent drop off".
He said: "This wasn't a 'shop' situation - he was selling to associates and friends. Within the sub-culture in which he lives, he is of the view that smoking cannabis is fine.
"He hasn't benefited from any high-rolling lifestyle - whatever was coming in was being spent on his cannabis habit."
Imposing the 13-month jail term, Sheriff Christopher Shead told Aitchison: "This is a serious offence and the court is obliged to treat it as such.
"A custodial sentence is the only appropriate disposal."
