By Dave Lord

A COURT yesterday heard how a Perthshire man turned to cannabis in a desperate bid to alleviate a chronic condition that leaves him with constantly itchy genitalia.

Medical experts had been unable to curb Gregor Spalding’s torment, so he decided to resort to cannabis.

Perth Sheriff Court heard how the 31-year-old suffers from a rare condition termed “pruritus.”

It leaves him with pain that “all manner of painkillers” failed to relieve.

Spalding, of Croft Court, Blairgowrie, admitted producing cannabis—a class C controlled drug—at his home on April 15 last year.

Depute fiscal Helen Nisbet said police officers called at Spalding’s house as they tried to track down one of his neighbours in connection with an unrelated matter.

“The accused answered the door and immediately aroused suspicion as he seemed reluctant to let the officers in,” she said.

“When they entered the property they detected a strong smell from a cupboard which turned out to be emanating from seven cannabis plants.”

The plants, which have been valued at £660, were potted and growing with the assistance of a heater and lamps.

Spalding said he had obtained the seeds from someone he was not prepared to name, and insisted the cannabis was for his own use.

Solicitor Mike Tavendale said the drug was not intended to be used for enjoyment but to alleviate Spalding’s chronic problem.

“He has been prescribed all manner of painkillers but none have any effect,” he remarked.

“Mr Spalding turned to cannabis out of desperation,” he said.

“Mr Spalding thought it would be better to try and cultivate the drug himself than attempt to buy it on the street.”

Mr Tavendale said Spalding began to grow the plants after “reading up” on the subject on various internet sites.

Meanwhile, a letter from a doctor at the Strathmore surgery in Blairgowrie was presented to the court.

The letter confirmed that Spalding had been suffering from chronic pain for three years.

The doctor said several medications had been prescribed but had not helped.

“Gregor has a fixed belief that he has an underlying condition which has not been diagnosed,” he wrote.

“It is quite reasonable that he thought cannabis might help his condition as there have been reports in the press of cannabis relieving pain in multiple sclerosis and other conditions.”

Sentencing Sheriff Michael Fletcher said the court had no option but to treat the production of cannabis “very seriously indeed.”

Spalding was fined £300.

He has one month to pay the penalty.