A SWANSEA man suffering with severe arthritis has pleaded guilty to growing 60 cannabis plants worth between £6,000 and £10,000 at a Carmarthenshire house.
Paul Richard Kent, aged 47, whose address was given as Pensalem Road, pleaded guilty to the production of 60 plants at Ger y Capel, Llangain.
He also pleaded guilty to another charge of possessing cannabis resin.
Kent told officers the cannabis was for his own use to cope with arthritic pain.
Carmarthen Magistrates Court heard police searched the property on July 6 when Kent was not home and discovered a hydroponic system for the cannabis growth.
Prosecutor Dennis Davies said: “The defendant had been living at the address for four months before his arrest and had been approached by someone asking him if he wanted to buy hydroponic equipment. He did, and bought 60 seeds from the internet before planting them. He said he acted alone and was drying out the cannabis for his own use.”
He added that the set-up cost of the scheme was £4,000.
Defence solicitor Gareth Jones said Kent had no intention of supplying the cannabis to anyone else, and used it to aid with arthritic pain and had previously been addicted to painkillers in an attempt to deal with the condition.
He added: “My client has spent a lot on buying cannabis over the years and decided to grow the plants himself to alleviate costs.”
Magistrates said their sentencing powers were not enough in this case and committed Kent to Swansea Crown Court for sentencing on Friday, December 4.
Source: http://www.thisissouthwales.co.uk/southwalesnews/Drugs-crop-grown-painkiller/article-1490816-detail/article.html
