ISSUE 1810 Tuesday 9 May 2000
By Sean O'Neill
A WIDOWER who puts cannabis in his morning cup of tea to relieve the pain of arthritis has been convicted of possessing the illegal drug. Thomas Williams, 73, a retired builder, has been using cannabis to ease his condition for four years and described it as his lifeline. Magistrates in Neath, South Wales, gave him a conditional discharge and ordered him to pay £40 costs.
Mr Williams said: "As soon as I started taking the cannabis there was a marked improvement. The pain was significantly reduced and my mobility was a lot better. I use about £10 of the drug a fortnight and it transforms my standard of living.
"Someone must have tipped off the police because they raided my house
out of the blue. It was not a pleasant experience."