A DEFENDANT told Furness Magistrates' Court that he was unable to plead guilty or not guilty because "it was not as simple as that."

Wayne Adair, 55, of Harper Street, Oldham eventually pleaded guilty to driving a vehicle while under the influence of a controlled drug above the limit, possession of Cannabis and failing to answer bail on July 12.

Adair told the court how he made his own special Cannabis drink for medicinal purposes which was why the class B drug was in his system.

Officers stopped Adair on March 10 in Park Road, Barrow as part of a routine exercise and took a swab from his mouth.

The sample showed he was more than three times over the legal limit.

Mr Michael Graham, defending, explained that Adair used £10 of Cannabis a day and was "immune" to the effects.

He said: "There was no bad driving or incidents, it was just chance that he was stopped."

In a statement read out in court, Adair described himself as "an honest individual" because he had told his employer about the incident resulting in him being dismissed from his job as a delivery driver.

Adair failed to appear in court in relation to these offences because he had no transport from Oldham to Barrow.

Presiding Magistrate Robert Swales said: "You have your view on Cannabis but you have fallen foul of the law."

Adair was ordered to pay a £120 fine for the driving offence, £80 for possession of the Cannabis and £50 for failure to answer bail.

Payment of £85 in court costs and a £30 victim surcharge was also ordered.

Adair was disqualified from driving for 12 months.