A 48-year-old man facing his eighth drug possession charge, was sentenced to a 12-month conditional release order in Mudgee Local Court on Wednesday.
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Mark Warren Gadd of Inglis Street, Mudgee, was questioned by police at about 7.10pm on Friday, December 7, 2018, when he was seen riding a bicycle on Douro Street.
When asked if he was in possession of anything illegal, he admitted to 3-4g of cannabis and handed over a glass bottle containing a resealable bag of the drug.
He was also searched and had more cannabis was a cigarette pack.
Between the two containers Gadd was in possession of 5.08g of the drug.
He told police that he was visiting a friend and doesn't drink so planned to smoke instead.
Magistrate David Day told the defendant that while the legislation for recreational use of cannabis could possibly change "in the foreseeable future", it hasn't happened yet.
"Until there's law reform the prohibition laws remain in place," he said, before suggesting, "or do you want to move to the ACT where small quantities are legal, it's a bit cold though".
His Honour noted that the incident was Gadd's eighth and put it to him that he might have a "chronic problem", which in turn was supporting illegal enterprise.
"It's supply and demand, farmers wouldn't grow wheat if there wasn't demand for it, and the people you support are serious criminals," he said.
*'Chronic' is a slang term for cannabis.
