If there is no intention to sell, how can a cannabis crop be worth money?

Time after time I read that some person has grown a crop of cannabis - sometimes matured, sometimes not - for his or her own use, with no allegation of intent to sell, then read that it is estimated to be of some financial value.How can a crop be worth money if there is no intent to sell?The article below is yet another example of how the press wrongly deal with reports of court cases against personal cannabis crop cultivation."Ramsell was growing the drug for his own use.."

"I am satisfied this was a personal use crop and not a crop for supply. But even those who produce cannabis for their own use can expect a custodial sentence."

"The cannabis would have been for his own use, it was a first crop and would never have been for commercial sale."

Yet the Tanworth Herald reports also:Prosecuting Pat Sullivan said the crop would have produced just over one kilo of cannabis that would have fetched £6,300 if sold on the streets.

How can it have been worth £6300 if sold if there was no intent to sell - what relevance is the estimated value?Why don't they tell us something that is far more relevant - the cost of the arrest and court case - the money that the taxpayers will be covering arresting a man that appears to have done no harm or had no intent to harm anyone with his indoor crop of cannabis?Add together cases such as this, it amounts to billions each year - now THAT is of public concern, that is hurting us the taxpayers - all in the name of stopping people from growing one particular plant for their own use.This must stop.  They tell us we are in financial crisis yet they unnecessarily and unjustly perpetuate a prohibition that soaks up our tax money as a sponge in water.

Tanworth Herald, December 8 2011

Addict who grew cannabis tampered with test samples
http://www.thisistamworth.co.uk/Addict-grew-cannabis-tampered-test-samples/story-14080141-detail/story.html

 AN "ENTRENCHED" drug addict caught growing cannabis at his Tamworth flat has been jailed for eight months by a judge.

Police found 34 plants under cultivation in a sophisticated hydroponic system at Lee Ramsell's home, Stafford Crown Court heard.

Prosecuting Pat Sullivan said the crop would have produced just over one kilo of cannabis that would have fetched £6,300 if sold on the streets.

Ramsell was growing the drug for his own use.

Judge Simon Tonking had given him a chance to go on a drug rehabilitation programme, adjourning his case on condition he stopped taking cannabis.

But the judge was told that Ramsell had tampered with his samples to produce negative results for the drug testers.

Ramsell, aged 31, of Juniper, Amington, admitted a charge of cultivating cannabis.

Judge Tonking told him: "I am sentencing you for producing cannabis. It came to light because you volunteered information about it when you were under arrest in relation to a different matter.

"The police went to your home and found a hydroponic set up growing 34 plants. I am satisfied this was a personal use crop and not a crop for supply. But even those who produce cannabis for their own use can expect a custodial sentence.

"You are an entrenched drug abuser and it is difficult for people like you to get off drugs. Despite the opportunity I gave you, you are still taking cannabis. I am not going to increase the sentence because you tried to dupe those testing you.

"Although you have been found suitable for a drug rehabilitation order, if you are going to produce false samples to IDAS (the drug advisory service) there's the chance you are going to do the same to the drug rehabilitation team."

Daniel Oscroft, defending, said it had to be accepted that the test samples provided by Ramsell were false. He had tampered with them out of a fear of being sent straight to custody.

The cannabis would have been for his own use, it was a first crop and would never have been for commercial sale.

Man caught growing cannabis has ‘no intention of stopping’

How can this man be blamed? What harm has he done is he doing to anyone (except the loss of profit to the pharmaceutical companies that would be selling him the NHS, costly, more dangerous and less effective medication that he may well have already tried. How can there be any Justice in punishing him and what justification was there for interfering with his Human Right to a Private Life etc in the first place. Human Rights law specified that there needs to be justification to interfere with our Rights even if the law is being broken, and that justification must be that there is a threat to public health, public order, national security or the Rights of others. I would like to read the police court's justification. They will, no doubt, say that they are just implementing the law, but that is not justification

Hawick News, December 7 2011

http://www.hawick-news.co.uk/news/local-headlines/man_caught_growing_cannabis_has_no_intention_of_stopping_1_1993536

Man caught growing cannabis has ‘no intention of stopping’

A MAN caught growing cannabis claimed the illegal drug helped alleviate a medical condition.
Mark Makin said he had no intention of stopping using the class B drug, and producing it himself meant he didn’t have to buy it on the street.
Makin, 43, of Dovemount Place, admitted having cannabis and producing the drug at his home on September 2.
“His medical condition is relieved by taking cannabis,” explained defence solicitor Matt Patrick, “and that was the motivation behind him growing these plants.
“It also meant he was not having to move in circles he would have had to, to obtain it on the street,” he added.
Sheriff Donald Corke fined Makin, a sales assistant, £120, warning him his activity was illegal and would be closely monitored by police.
“I know that you feel fully justified in doing this, but it is illegal, and I have to uphold the law,” he told the accused.
“Because you have indicated you don’t intend to stop, you should be aware that the police will be keeping a close eye on you,” he added.

The cannabis is not worth anything financially unless the intent was to sell it.

Cultivation of cannabis for own use is victimless.

To justify interfering with the Human Right to a private life, that is, the police raid and arrest, the authorities need to show that it was in order to protect public health, public order, national security or the Rights of others.

I don't see how they can do that - even based upon their claim that smoking cannabis is harmful -- after all, we know passive smoking of cannabis is a risk to the health of others and that is allowed in one's own home (I am not saying that is should not be) and in the open air.

Problem is the whole Government and most of the Criminal Justice System is corrupt

Cannabis smoker jailed after weed worth £3k found at his home

The Sentinel, December 6 2011

A CANNABIS smoker who grew the drug at his home just months after receiving a caution for the same offence has been jailed for eight months.
Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court yesterday heard Michael Goodwin, aged 32, received a police caution last December for growing cannabis.

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But at 3.50pm on September 3 a police officer smelt the class B drug as he walked along Orion Street in Smallthorne.
"He knocked on the door and the defendant answered," said prosecutor Fiona Cortese.
"There was an overwhelming smell of cannabis. The house was searched and the defendant was asked is he had any cannabis. He said 'Yes, upstairs'."
The court heard in the front bedroom there were cannabis plants and heat lamps. In total there was 3,030 grams of wet cannabis and 836 grams of dried cannabis valued at between £2,360 and £3,585.
Goodwin told police he had been growing the plants for about six weeks. He said he had smoked cannabis since he was aged 15 and would have smoked the drug himself. He added the cannabis would have lasted him between eight and 12 months.
The defendant, now of Ashman Street, Smallthorne, pleaded guilty to producing cannabis on the basis it was for his own personal use.
Stuart Muldoon, mitigating, asked Judge Mark Eades to consider suspending any prison sentence.
Mr Muldoon said Goodwin did not try to hide anything from the police and made full and frank admissions in his interview.
He added that the defendant has now completely stopped smoking cannabis.
Judge Eades said it was a serious aggravating feature that Goodwin produced the drug so soon after being handed the police caution.
He told the defendant: "On December 9 last year you were cautioned for using a residential property to cultivate 14 large and 25 small cannabis plants for your personal use.
"I do not know why the police chose to caution you. The guideline case indicates nine to 18 months in prison for a first time offender.
"One would have hoped the police would have pointed out to you what the going rate was, that for a first offender it usually leads to immediate imprisonment.
"Your reaction was cavalier in the extreme.
"Within eight months you had bought fresh equipment and set up a production plant in a different address."

Goodwin will serve up to half his sentence with the rest on licence.