Hair-washing Leeds weed grower said he used drug as shampoo
A man caught growing 30 cannabis plants in his home said he used it to make oil with which he washed his hair and cooked with.
Floyd Robinson made the claim after officers raided his home and found the “sophisticated and professional” set up in which the electricity had also been bypassed.
The 62-year-old admitted producing cannabis and extracting electricity during a hearing at Leeds Crown Court.
The police first raided a property on Francis Street, Chapeltown, on September 18, 2023.
They found Robinson and two others inside, along with “large quantities” of Class A drugs, prosecutor Gabrielle Coates said.
Robinson was arrested and not charged, but they searched his home on Chatsworth Road, Harehills, where they found the cannabis farm.
The plants were in various stages of growth. There was plastic sheeting on the walls and a watering system in place.
Experts suggested it was capable of producing more than 1.5kg of the drug, worth up to £16,500 if sold on the streets. More than £2,000 in cash was also found.
He initially said it was for personal use, that he consumed between one and two ounces each day, which was rejected by the Crown.
Robinson later changed his basis, saying he made oil from the drug which he used to wash his hair and in cooking, and admitted he would supply it to close friends.
He also said the money was a loan from his family to help pay his rent.
Robinson had 15 previous convictions for 40 offences, many of which are drug related.
Mitigating, Andrea Parnham said: “He has never denied growing the plants. He accepts he would produce oil and supply others.”
She said his last conviction for supplying drugs dated back to 1986.
Judge Ray Singh told Robinson that his personal-use claims were right to be withdrawn, saying: “It was far too much I’m afraid.”
He gave him an 18-month jail sentence, suspended for two years, with 15 rehabilitation days to complete.