Wirral man caught growing cannabis is jailed

9:08am Wednesday 10th October 2012 in News By Lynda Roughley

Liverpool Crown Court Liverpool Crown Court

A WALLASEY man who was caught growing cannabis has been jailed for nine months.

Leslie McStein admitted that he was a heavy cannabis user and was growing the drug for his own use and to sell to friends and associates.

Liverpool Crown Court heard that at the prosecution claim a total of 33 pots growing cannabis was found in the loft at his home in Oxford Roaod, Wallasey but McStain claimed there were only 18.

Iain Criddle, prosecuting, said that two children were present in the house during the search. Cannabis was found drying in the loft and a bedroom and it was found to have a total weight of 291 grams.

Sentencing him the judge, Recorder Richard Pratt, QC, said that mobile phones seized in the raid revealed text messages about supplying drugs.

He pointed out that he has an unimpressive record including receiving a six year sentence for wounding with intent in 2006 and was on licence from that sentence at the time of his arrest in September last year.

The judge said he accepted he has since been making efforts to progress his life and the offence had not involved a sophisticated operation.

29-year-old McStein, of Belle Vue Road, Seacombe, pleaded guilty to cultivating cannabis.

Christopher Williams, defending, said the yield from the plants was low and he had only turned to the offence after being made redundant from his job as a breakdown truck driver.

 

Comments(9)

Babs Stanley says...
1:14pm Wed 10 Oct 12

We need to stop this stupid and unwinnable war against cannabis. It is causing far more harm to our communities than it prevents. If we had a properly regulated system of production and supply we'd have no more illegal cannabis farms, instead we'd have thousands of new jobs. We'd have no more dealers on the streets. Cannabis would be available to adults only through licensed outlets and we'd have some control over the THC and CBD content.

Doctors would be able to prescribe one of the most effective medicines that has no serious side effects at all. At the moment the government has given GW Pharmaceuticals an illegal monopoly on cannabis so they make millions out of a medicine that you can grow in your greenhouse for virtually nothing.

If we introduced a legally regulated system we would solve nearly all the problems around cannabis. Science proves how much safer it is than tobacco, alcohol, prescription medicines and all other recreational drugs. If anyone does have a problem with it they could get help without having to confess to a crime.

CLEAR published independent, expert research last year which shows that a tax and regulate policy on cannabis would produce a net gain to the UK economy of up to £9.3 billion per annum.

It is a scandal that our government, our judges, our courts, our police and our newspapers keep misleading us about cannabis. Find out the truth for yourself and wake up to the lies you have been told.

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cshaws says...
2:44pm Wed 10 Oct 12

The police are doing their job, directed by a duplicitous government. It's easy brownie points for the police under pressure for results to target gardeners. But they are chasing their tails wasting their time, the courts time and our tax to the tune of £500,000,000 per year. Cannabis is not an illegal drug, it is a controlled drug. Or at least it's supposed to be. However, prohibition has rendered any form of government control totally impotent and handed this control to international drugs cartels and organised crime. The only way to satisfy the huge demand for cannabis is to legislate properly and control access, purity and quality and allow responsible adult users to access their drug of choice in safety (just like alcohol). Potentially £6bn of tax to be had! The only illegal thing about any 'controlled' substance in this country is the possession, cultivation or supply of said substance. So the only illegal aspect in this whole charade is the exercise of our basic human rights i.e. your freedom is illegal. The only harm is that caused by prohibition”

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Positive thinker says...
3:01pm Wed 10 Oct 12

What a load of garbage,I've had people working for me who smoke the
artful stuff you can't get any sense out of them never mind a days work

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SuperSilverSourDiesel says...
4:15pm Wed 10 Oct 12

Positive thinker wrote:
What a load of garbage,I've had people working for me who smoke the
artful stuff you can't get any sense out of them never mind a days work
Bob Marley smoked it heavily and daily, wise man with revolutionary music. He spoke more sense than you will in your life time.

Gold Medallist Michael Phelps smokes cannabis, he seems to be up for a days work.

Obama used to be in a cannabis smoking gang, and used cannabis daily and heavily. Yet he is the first Black President.

Arnold Schwarzenegger smoked cannabis every day right up until he became Governor of Cali. Didnt stop him going to work every day appearing in countless movies.

Stephen King smokes cannabis, doesnt stop him selling books. He’s also been one of the most vocal proponents for legalization calling laws against the drug “ridiculous,”.

There are many many people who use cannabis responsibly and live a normal, or even an extraordinary full life. Yet you prefer stereotypes, fair enough.

Prohibition has always done the opposite of what its meant to. Its a failed experiment that is only kept alive by Greed, Cowardice, the power of the alcohol, tobacco and pharmaceutical companies and of course personal prejudices. It being illegal has nothing to do with Expert advice, scientific evidence or our health and safety. Just say No to prohibition, it causes more harm than cannabis ever could.

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Positive thinker says...
4:35pm Thu 11 Oct 12

You must smoke it to excess to come
out with garbage like that

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SuperSilverSourDiesel says...
6:55pm Thu 11 Oct 12

Positive thinker wrote:
You must smoke it to excess to come
out with garbage like that
Is that the best you can come up with? Garbage? Its the truth whether you want to accept it or not.

Nope, i dont use cannabis. But im anti prohibition. Im anti kids using cannabis and anti drug dealers getting rich.

Supporting prohibition is supporting a policy which has nothing to do with reducing harm, or seeing cannabis dealers out of business long term.

Its a policy based on Lies, Vested Interest and cowardice, I find it hard to believe anyone who supports something as corrupt as cannabis prohibition is sober.

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SChorley says...
8:11pm Thu 11 Oct 12

Put down the gun of prohibition and then we can talk, else your helping hand becomes a hated controlling power.
I refuse to listen to any harm of any drug until we take away the harm of enforced moral control. Heath promotion is no place for moral control.
"Lower the gun and we can talk"

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Positive thinker says...
11:09pm Thu 11 Oct 12

That's it then looks like you win,I am going to start smoking it myself then I will start talking garbage and thinking the same as yourself

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bickyboy says...
11:42pm Tue 16 Oct 12

For me, there will never be a great deal of legitimacy in the government's drugs policy until they exert themselves as enthusiastically in dealing with the damage done by binge drinking and alcoholism as they do in pursuing people who grow cannabis. Ruined lives, battered wives, Friday night's fighting with complete strangers and tens of millions of pounds of our money spent on dealing with the results. What are they REALLY doing about the Demon Drink? Would they consider legalising alcohol if it was illegal and cannabis wasn't? I doubt it.

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