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TV Times , 12th October 2005
A homely 66-year-old grandmother of two from Northumberland, she looks more like the local church organist than a cannabis user. But in summer 2004, police twice raided Pats home and found 31 cannabis plants in her attic.
She was charged with possession and intent to supply, and recieved a six-month suspended prison sentence. Round here I'm known as Grandma Pat by the children, but as Cannabis Gran by their parents', laughs Pat, one of the unlikely dope users who apear in a new Sky One documentary.
Unlike most of the estimated 3.5 million regular cannabis users in the UK, Pat never smokes the drug. She just cooks with it, claiming its medicinal qualities have helped ease a range of medical problems, including arthritis, depression
and insomnia.
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I started using it a couple of years ago and felt much better immediately', says Pat, a widow. 'People kept saying to me: "Pat, you look great," and I'd say: "I've been cooking with cannabis." '
Before long Pat was cooking for her elderly friends too. All raved about how well they began to feel. 'If we had a lunch party, I'd bake a pie and the ladies brought salad,' she says. 'You should try my cannabis, leek and chicken pie! And my cannabis lime cheesecake is heaven.'
Delicious thought her dope-laced nosh may be, Pat knows she could end up behind bars. Last month she was raided once more and is now waiting to hear if she'll have to go to court again.
'They found four, 4ft-high ganja plants,' Pat admits. 'If they charge me with anything except "for my own use", I'll plead "not guilty". I'm just a grandma who wants to get on with life.'
The documentary is called: "Stoned In Suburbia", and is on Sky One channel on Monday 17th of October at 9 pm. s
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