A drug addict caught supplying cannabis he claimed he used for a medical condition will spend Christmas in jail after being sentenced to eight months.

Police raided Vernon Blackwood’s home in Whitfield Road, Ashford, on December 22 last year and found him and another man sitting at a table with a bag of the drug.

Jonathan Ingram, prosecuting, said packets of cannabis with a total weight of 700 grammes and worth about £3,000 were seized from various areas, including a bread bin, along with £465.

While officers were there, two people came to the door, claiming they were visiting a friend.

Blackwood said he used the drug for health reasons to ease leg pain. He added he bought in bulk.

Dominic Webber, defending, said the 48-year-old retired tailor sold some of the cannabis to friends at a small profit.

Judge Andrew Patience QC told Blackwood, who admitted possessing drugs with intent to supply, it was always regrettable when people had health problems.

But he added: “Even low level dealing cannabis has this potential: It encourages those who are regular users to acquire an addiction which is so often these days a gateway to more serious drug addiction.

“Thus, the supply of cannabis is something the courts endeavour to discourage. I cannot take any other course than immediate custody.”