| SUSPENDED
SENTENCE FOR WOMAN WHO WANTED TO GROW HER OWN CANNABIS
A YOUNG woman from Kings Langley who set up a small
cannabis production factory in the bedroom of her home
- after getting instructions from the Internet on how
to do it - has narrowly escaped prison.
Lois Edwards, 26, had set up a hydroponics system in
a spare bedroom at her maisonette to grow cannabis plants.
On March 12 this year, police raided the house in Wharfe
Way, Kings Langley.
Edward Lewis, prosecuting, at St Albans crown court,
said police found "a little factory" in the spare room.
There were two large growing tents and 20 large cannabis
plants were growing. Other plants were "drying out"
in another tent. Chemicals were found to help enhance
growth, said the prosecutor.
Edwards told the police she was a cannabis user. She
said she had been spending £20 to £40 a
week on cannabis and decided to set up her "project"
after researching on the Internet how to set up a hydroponics
growing system. "She said she didn't know what she was
going to do with the crop itself," said Mr Lewis.
The court was told there was no evidence she was growing
the drug to supply to others. Judge Ronald Moss, hearing
the case, was told she had spent around £500 to
set up the "factory". The court heard each of the 20
cannabis plants found by police was worth £230.
Edwards, the court heard, was said to have started smoking
cannabis after finding herself in an abusive marriage.
The court was told she had now stopped taking the drug
and that Edwards pleaded guilty to a single charge of
cultivating cannabis, a class B drug.
Judge Moss sentenced her to eight months imprisonment
suspended for two years and ordered her to do 150 hours
of unpaid work.
In addition, she must pay £425 costs.
June 2010 |
