A man who believed that a constituent of cannabis could cure cancer decided to grow his own.

Police found five cannabis plants growing in a hydroponics system inside a tent in the bedroom at his home.

It was accepted that the drugs were all for his own use, Flintshire magistrates’ court at Mold was told on Thursday (July 21).

Paul William Brookes, of High Street, Saltney, admitted producing the class B drug between February and June 21 this year.

He received a 12 week prison sentence suspended for two years and a six week curfew was imposed to ensure she remained indoors between 6pm and 6am.

Brookes, 43, was ordered to pay £85 costs and a £115 surcharge.

Howard Jones, defending, said the CBD, or cannabidiol content, was supposedly a cure for cancer and that was what he was attempting to get from the cannabis leaves.

“To do that he had to grow his own,” he explained. But it was not a large set up.

He was no stranger to the courts but it was accepted that the cannabis was for his own use, for medicinal purposes.

Prosecutor Rhian Jackson told how police executed a search warrant under the Misuse of Drugs Act and seized herbal cannabis.

But in a black and silver tent set up in a bedroom police found five cannabis plants growing in a hydroponics system with lighting, heating and watering.

Interviewed, Brookes said he believed that if he grew fewer than six plants he would get a fine in court.

He had planted seeds and grew the cannabis for his own personal use.

The plants had six weeks left to grow and he had been using herbal cannabis until they were ready.

He intended to strip the leaves off the plants and hoped to get two ounces per plant which would last him ten months.

As a result of health issues he had smoked cannabis all his life.

He had mobility problems and at one stage had a shadow on the lung but he said that he had been able to get rid of it by taking cannabis.

Cannabis was not used in order to get him high but for health purposes. It was for anxiety and helped him sleep.

He explained how he prepared a cannabis solution which he used.

Probation officer Pamela Roberts said Brookes was unable to take prescribed medication for back pain because he was on a methadone prescription.

He had been unable to continue with his employment because of his health issues.