A YOUNG Longtown man with an addiction to cannabis paid for it by setting up a “slick" dealing business, offering fellow drug users "ready-rolled" joints.

When police raided Niall White's home, they found evidence of a "professional" and bespoke dealing operation offering customers ready-to-use joints, colour coded according to the strain of cannabis used.

The defendant admitted possessing the Class B drug with intent to supply. At Carlisle Crown Court, prosecutor Andrew Evans outlined the facts.

The evidence was discovered when police raided White’s home on February 2 last year  and recovered a “wide range of items” linked to his his cannabis dealing.

“The defendant was offering a bespoke service, offering particular strains of cannabis in pre-rolled form,” said Mr Evans. Some of the evidence was found in a locked safe next to the defendant’s bedroom.

There was £200 cash, cannabis flowering heads, and cannabis resin. The weight of the drugs recovered was 87g.

A police expert had commented that the coloured labels used by the defendant to identify the cannabis strains he was selling were similar to systems used by commercial suppliers of the drug in those countries where cannabis use was legalised.

The court heard that White entered his guilty plea on a basis. This stated that he bought the drug in bulk and sell directly to friends to raise the cash he need to fund his own addiction.

His previous offences included failing to provide a specimen to the police when suspected of an offence; and possessing the same drug with intent to supply and being concerned in supplying cannabis.

The latter two offences related to one course of offending.

Mr Evans also asked the court to approve forfeiture of the defendant’s phone, as well as various weapons which were found at the defendant’s premises – two air rifles, a slingshot, and ball bearings.

“Where weapons and drugs are found in the same house there is a reasonable inference that the weapons could be used to defend those drugs,” added Mr Evans.

Olivia Belle, defending, described White as “an avid cannabis smoker,” using between four and nine grams of the drug per day. “Any money [generated] was to fund his cannabis addiction,” she said.

Miss Belle pointed out that White had expressed remorse, and arrived at court carrying a bag of belongings, indicating his awareness that he was at “serious risk of custody.”

Over the last year, the defendant had made “considerable efforts” to change is life and leave his criminal lifestyle behind.

Having set up a roofing company, and shown “entrepreneurial drive”, he had seen his business take off, and he employs four people, making it unnecessary for him to return to drugs supply.

“He’s a man with a realistic prospect of rehabilitation,” added the barrister.

Judge Michael Fanning said the defendant exhibited his "entrepreneurial drive” throughout his offending. It was a “professional setup,” designed to make money to fund addiction, said the judge,

The judge noted the defendant’s previous similar offence. Referring to the more recent offence, Judge Fanning said: “You’d established what appears to be a pretty slick cannabis supplying system.”

But White, of English Street, Longtown, was young and he had proved himself capable of rehabilitation and he was working hard to establish his business.

“Cannabis is not a safe drug and it is particularly dangerous to those who have psychosis, or a [predisposition] towards that," said the judge.

Imposing a 12-month jail term, suspended for a year, Judge Fanning told the defendant: “You do not get another chance at this.

“If you decide that drug dealing is your chosen career, you will suffer the occupational hazards of doing that… Roofing is not something that combines itself happily with being intoxicated.

“If you are going to go on to a roof, you don’t want to be high on cannabis, do you?”

The suspended sentence includes 200 hours of unpaid work and 15 rehabilitation days with the Probation Service.