‘All this silliness’ - UK cannabis chocolate bar case dropped

A couple who faced drug charges over cannabis-laced chocolate bars have had the case against them dropped.

Prosecutors said they would offer no evidence against Lezley
and Mark Gibson, both 55, from Carlisle.

Lezley Gibson’s counsel said Lezley used the drug relieve the symptoms of multiple sclerosis.

The pair had denied three charges relating to cannabis.

“I’m not a criminal. I’m not a bad person”

Lezley Gibson

The prosecution told Carlisle Crown Court it was “not
in the public interest” to proceed with the case.

Their home was raided by police in January 2019 and officers
confiscated 10 cannabis plants and three home-made cannabis chocolate bars.

The couple’s legal team argued they were forced to grow their own cannabis as Ms Gibson was “unable to access an NHS prescription, while the cost of a private prescription was prohibitive”.

Prosecutor Brendan Burke told the court officials had considered
background reports and information and decided not to pursue legal proceedings,
although only on “public interest grounds”.

Her husband, he added, was “motivated by seeking to
address his wife’s problems”.

Ms Gibson told reporter outside the court the ruling as
“wonderful news”.

She said: “They’ve got to do something. They can’t keep
turning us into criminals.

“I’m not a criminal. I’m not a bad person.

“I’ve never done anything wrong in my life, and to find
myself here at court with all this silliness is really quite unreal.”

Patients can be prescribed
medicinal cannabis by specialist doctors in the UK as of November 2018.

It is the first time UK medical experts have had the option
to legally issue prescriptions for cannabis-based medicines if they think it
could help their patient.

However, there have only been a handful of prescriptions
because of uncertainty over safety and effectiveness.