#marajauna

A little wake and bake on my “Saturday”morning

On September 20th 1972 Paul McCartney was arrested for possession of marijuana at his farm in the Mull of Kintyre.

McCartney appeared  at Campbeltown Sheriff Court in March 1973, where a £100 fine was imposed on him. He had pleaded guilty to knowingly cultivating five cannabis plants in a greenhouse on his 500-acre High Park Farm, a few miles from the town.

The former Beatle told waiting reporters that he was pleased with the outcome and that it could have been worse. “I was planning on writing a few songs in jail,” he conceded. “It would have been all right as long as I had a guitar.”

During the twenty-five minute hearing, his defence counsel said that he had “an immense interest in horticulture.” McCartney said later: “I have grown quite a few kinds of pot plants in the greenhouse. One gets quite a few gifts of all kinds from fans. These seeds arrived by post, so I planted them in five pots.” He added: “I feel that there should be legislation on the use of cannabis. Drink is a much worse drug to my mind than cannabis.”

The procurator fiscal told the court that the plants were found by police making a routine crime prevention visit to McCartney’s hilltop farm near Campbeltown.  John McCluskey, QC, for McCartney, said: “The plants were growing absolutely openly. There was no attempt to conceal them and I feel this is a technical offence.”

Fining him £100, Sheriff D.J. McDairmaid said he took into account that cannabis seeds had been given to McCartney in a gift.