A few days ago the Argus Newspaper reported on the Court case of a Lancing pensioner and her partner who were prosecuted for growing Cannabis in the pensioners home. Her partner did attempt to partially absolve the lady concerned by arguing that she did not benefit financially from his business which the Crown does not accept but what I found to be most bizarre was the argument used by his defence Barrister. One wonders if Rowan Jenkins who is described on his own website as having a “scientific background” and “wide experience, especially in cases involving contested expert opinion” was scraping a barrel of his own vivid imagination when he is reported to have said: “The reality of this case is that he in fact is a keen gardener and enjoys growing plants and was growing them for himself and a friend.” Anyone who uses their home to grow 162 plants, especially of the same type has clearly long passed the point of being merely “a keen gardner” no matter how one defines that term. In the case of Cannabis plants which don’t even flower, this was clearly nonsense and whatever one’s view regarding the legalisation of Cannabis, this was a huge operation carried out in a small Sussex town. Perhaps Rowan needs to work on his approach.