Cannabis Gran faces eviction.

SO-CAL L ED 'Cannabis Gran' Patricia Tabram is due in court again on Friday, when she could face eviction from her Northumberland home.

In March, the 68-year-old, of East Lea, Humshaugh, near Hex-ham, was found guilty of growing and using the Class-C drug, which she insists she uses for pain relief.

Now bosses at housing association Milecastle Housing have applied for the right to evict her - but have asked for the order to be suspended so she can have another chance.

They say Mrs Tabram is in breach of her tenancy agreement by growing and using the drug. She says she does not understand why she is being targeted, arguing: "I'm not a robber, I'm not a rapist."

Alun Buffry, spokesman for the Legalise Cannabis Alliance, yesterday said: "True enough, the Misuse of Drugs Act puts the onus on landlords to ensure illegal drugs are not used on their premises, and Mrs Tabram, rightly or wrongly, has been convicted under that Act.

"However, I don't feel for one minute that many people would think that the Misuse of Drugs Act was ever supposed to be used against pensioners who grow a plant, even cannabis, for their own medical benefit, especially in such tiny quantities - and certainly not to be used to evict them."

Bill Tebay, managing director of Milecastle Housing, said: "It is with reluctance and regret that Milecastle Housing has applied for a possession order on the home of Mrs Patricia Tabram, which we have recommended to be suspended for up to 24 months.

"If a suspended possession order is granted by the courts, Mrs Tabram may continue to reside in her home, unless she breaches her tenancy agreement through the cultivation or possession of cannabis - offences for which she was convicted in the criminal court.

"We have spoken with Mrs Tabram on several occasions in order to make it absolutely clear that whilst we have no wish to repossess her home, we are required, as a responsible social landlord, to take action in such cases and would be prepared to do so."