Exeter Express and Echo | Posted: November 18, 2014
Devon Cannabis Club shocked at conviction for possession of 9p worth of the drug
AN Exeter group campaigning for the legalisation of cannabis has expressed shock at the conviction of a man for possession of nine pence worth of the drug.
Christopher Saunders, 38, of Nadder Meadow in South Molton, pleaded guilty to possessing cannabis and was given a conditional discharge.
AN Exeter group campaigning for the legalisation of cannabis has expressed shock at the conviction of a man for possession of nine pence worth of the drug.
Christopher Saunders, 38, of Nadder Meadow in South Molton, pleaded guilty to possessing cannabis and was given a conditional discharge.
A misuse of drugs act warrant was carried out at Saunders’ property and various items seized including scales.
They were tested and came back showing Saunders had 0.09 grams of cannabis, which Lyndsey Baker, for the prosecution said was worth around nine pence.
he court heard Saunders had 47 previous convictions, two of which were drug related.
Tim Hook for the defence, said: “If I close one’s eyes and try to imagine nine hundredths of a gram it is a very difficult thing to fasten your mind on.
“I think it is a quantity that is barely capable of measurement.”
Mr Hook said the cannabis was initially valued at £9, but after recalculation was found to only be worth nine pence.
He said: “It would be extremely difficult to imagine a smaller quantity of cannabis that has ever come before the court, and therefore not only does it come in the lowest conceivable category in sentencing terms, but in my respectful submission wouldn’t really warrant the imposition of a financial penalty.
“I am staggeringly surprised it couldn’t have been dealt with by way of a caution at the police station, when so many things are.”
Magistrates gave Saunders a conditional discharge for six months and ordered him to pay a victim surcharge of £15.
Following the case, the Devon Cannabis Club said all its members were shocked by both the arrest and subsequent court case.
Daryl Sullivan said: “This can only be considered an appalling misuse of tax money, in regards to both the initial arrest and subsequent court case. 0.09 grams is a tiny amount of cannabis by anyone's standards and the fact that the police and courts deemed it worthy of arrest and a criminal record just goes to show the absurdity of the current legal status of the drug.
“Mr Saunders was not causing any harm to anybody by possessing this miniscule amount of cannabis and as such the charges against him constitute a completely unjust and disproportionate punishment for the 'crime' that was committed.
"Unfortunately for Mr Saunders we have recently taken a step back in terms of how we police cannabis by getting rid of the 'cannabis caution'. If this option had still been available to the police they may well have chosen not to waste so much time and money on such a pointless and unjustified court case.”
