A WOMAN on trial for twice growing drugs at her home told jurors the banned substances found were 'medical cannabis.'
From the witness box yesterday Michelle X went on to tell the 12 men and women who are trying her 'I am way ahead of my time.'
The 52-year-old of Lammas Close, Abingdon - who suffers with Multiple Sclerosis - denies two counts alleging the production of a drug of class B.
Prosecutors claim that on two separate police visits in 2018 a quantity of cannabis was found growing at her home.
She claims that the drugs seized were to be used as ‘medical cannabis’ to treat her condition.
As her trial at Oxford Crown Court continued yesterday X took to the witness box to profess her innocence.
READ AGAIN: A report from the opening of the case.
She told jurors how she had been diagnosed with MS in the late 1980s and had undergone various trials to tackle the condition.
She said: "The disease has been a curse upon my life from the start.
"It ruined my first marriage, it clouded my childhood [through sickliness]."
X went on to say that she used what she called 'medical cannabis' to help with her ailments.
She told the jury: "I am standing here before you on medical cannabis.
"If I had no medicine cannabis in me for eight hours I can't stand here, I can't walk.
"I am quite happy to go home tonight and stay off my medical cannabis and have a driver bring me in tomorrow to prove to the jury if they need, to see the changes and the extent of medical cannabis for the condition."
During cross examination it was put to X that the substances grown at her home were in fact cannabis, which she denied.
Asked what the substances were she repeated it was 'medical cannabis.'
Explaining the difference between the two she should it was like 'the difference between lager and moonshine.'
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Ian Ball, for the Crown Prosecution Service, said: "If I call my Alsatian a Beagle it doesn't turn it into a Beagle, I am wrongly labelling it?"
X replied: "If you cross that Beagle with another dog like a poodle you get a Cockapoodle."
Mr Ball said: "But it's still a dog?"
X said: "It is still a dog I agree."
She was also asked if she was hiding the fact that she was growing the cannabis in her home.
She answered: "Yes I was hiding the fact I was growing these plants because I didn't want publicity.
"I wanted to quietly wait until something had changed."
She went on to tell jurors: "I am way ahead of my time.
"This is why I'm relying on the jury to make that decision on a law that doesn't exist."
After giving her evidence before the jury neither the prosecution nor the defence gave a closing speech.
The case is expected to be summed up by presiding Judge Ian Pringle QC today before the jury is sent out to make their final decision.
X denies both counts and the trial continues.
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