A drug-driver had taken cannabis edibles to combat ongoing pain from an accident more than three decades ago, a court has heard.
Ian Vanzetta was stopped by police carrying out routine checks, but his car smelled of cannabis and he had dilated pupils.
A drug test came back positive for cannabis and further testing revealed he was more than twice the legal limit for that drug.
His solicitor told the court he had taken the drug to try and tackle ongoing pain from an old injury.
Vanzetta, 53, appeared at Tain Sheriff Court to admit a single drug-driving charge.
Routine checks stopped drug driver
Fiscal depute Shamielah Ghafar told the court that it was around 3.40pm on May 28 of this year when police officers carrying out routine vehicle checks had reason to stop Vanzetta’s car in Westford, Alness.
She explained that following a Police National Computer check of the vehicle “they had approached the accused’s window for an unrelated matter”.
It was at this point that officers “observed smell of cannabis from the vehicle”.
They spoke to Vanzetta, who was “slow to respond to questions”, and noted that he had “dilated pupils”.
While under caution he admitted that he had consumed edibles – THC-infused gelatine sweets – the day before.
An initial drug test came back positive for cannabis and further testing revealed Vanzetta to have 4.7 microgrammes of cannabis per litre of blood – more than twice the legal limit of two microgrammes.
Driver took cannabis edibles for pain
Vanzetta’s solicitor Rory Gowans told the court that his client had suffered a bad accident at the age of 21 that had left him with ongoing pain.
“Prescription medication does not seem to assist,” Mr Gowans explained.
He said: “A friend suggested he try the edibles to see if that would alleviate the pain.”
He said his client ingested the drug at 10pm the previous evening but was “oblivious to the fact that they would still be in his system the following day”.
He said it was “A set of circumstances that he wishes he had dealt with differently.”
Sheriff Neil Wilson fined Vanzetta, of Kirkside, Alness, £320 and banned him from the roads for 12 months.
