WHEN police forced their way into Elliot Grieve’s Earlston home, they uncovered a cannabis cultivation with a potential value of £8,000.
Grieve told officers he was growing the crop for his own use, finding it much more effective in treating his ill-health than traditional medicine.
Thirty-seven-year-old Grieve, of Arnots Place, admitted producing cannabis at his home between September 1, 2010, and March 20 this year. He also pleaded guilty to committing a similar offence on July 18, when police found 10 plants and a sophisticated production set-up.
Tessa Bradley, prosecuting, told how the first cultivation came to light after police called at Grieve’s home at 6.45pm on a separate matter, adding: “There was a light on, but he refused to open the door, and it was forced at about 7pm.”
When officers were inside they noticed a “pungent smell from the upper floor of the flat” and found a cannabis cultivation there. A total of 54 cannabis plants were discovered, at various stages of growth, with a potential value of £150 each.
“The total was about £8,000,” said Ms Bradley.
Grieve gave a candid interview, telling police he had been growing cannabis for about a year-and-a-half and had produced about five crops per year. He said it was for his own use, for medicinal purposes.
On July 18, police again turned up at Grieve’s home, about 4pm, and again ended up forcing their way inside. Another cultivation, with about 10 cannabis plants, was found in the attic.
“There was a fairly sophisticated set-up of heaters, fans, etc,” added Ms Bradley, who moved for forfeiture of all the paraphernalia found.
Defending, Ross Dow said his client had been “self-medicating”. Grieve, who suffers ill-health, had been advised to try cannabis by a friend’s mother.
“Throughout university, he always walked away from drugs. It was not his scene,” said Mr Dow, adding: “His illness got so bad, and the prescribed medication wasn’t working, so he tried cannabis and overnight his problems disappeared.
“He couldn’t afford to buy it off the street, so he started growing it. He struggled to abstain after being caught the first time and took a chance of starting to grow it again.”
Mr Dow described the offences as “a sad case”, adding: “He knows that it is illegal, but he was desperate.”
Sheriff Jamie Gilmour sentenced Grieve to a community payback order, with 70 hours of unpaid work, and granted forfeiture of the plants and paraphernalia.