Yorkshire Live Reports
A terminally-ill hairdresser has avoided jail after ending up in court for growing her own cannabis plants to help with her sickness.
Lisa Middleton, 44, suffers chronic health conditions, including heart failure, and used to buy tiny amounts from a regular dealer to help with the symptoms.
But when money got tight she planted her own pots – just five adult plants and a couple of dozen baby ones – strictly for personal consumption, she claims.
She said she knew it was against the law but was at “rock bottom” and felt she had no other options, and needed to control her pain.
But just eight weeks in, she was raided by dozens of officers in up to ten police cars, and she was arrested and locked up for six hours before questioning.
It took police 20 months to charge her with production of a class B drug, and she was sentenced a staggering two years and five months after she was caught.
Now, with an 18 month suspended sentence to her name, she said her life has been destroyed by the “pointless” conviction.
