A pair of friends set up their own small-scale cannabis factory in Great Yarmouth to help with their medical conditions and because of the rising cost of buying the illegal drug a court has heard.

A pair of friends set up their own small-scale cannabis factory in Great Yarmouth to help with their medical conditions and because of the rising cost of buying the illegal drug a court has heard.

Andrew Norton and Ashley Simmonds were discovered by police cultivating 10 cannabis plants in Norton's flat in Salisbury Road on December 10. The pair, who knew each other from college, were each fined �60 last Wednesday by Yarmouth magistrates after they admitted producing a controlled drug of class B.

Gary Mayle, prosecuting, said Norton, 30, took cannabis because he claimed it helped his asthma, eczema and poor joints and Simmonds, 27, of Church Lane, Filby, claimed said he needed the drug to help with his asthma. They set up their drug operation because of it was too expensive to buy the drugs from other sources.

Arthur Balls, representing both, said: “There is no suggestion of supply to a small group of friends. It was just for themselves.

“There is a belief there are certain plants on this planet for a reason. They thought instead of paying high prices lets grow the plants ourselves.”