"Cannabis Club" boss facing jail after £35,000 drug bust

A "Cannabis Club" boss who claims his shop sells only "legal" parephanalia and supplies was today facing jail - after cops found more than £35,000 worth of cannabis in his flat.

Firefighters were called to Nikolas Brown's flat in Dundee's Laing Place when a blaze broke out in his kitchen.

When they attended the crew found "cannabis and cash on open display" in Brown's living room.

Cops were called and a full search found 2354 grams of class B cannabis - worth up to £35,310 on the street - as well as £1650 worth of class A MDMA.

Brown, who runs the Dundee Cannabis Collective shop in the city's Strathmartine Road, has previously campaigned for legalisation of the drug and claims his store offers only medicinal advice and legal items.

But now he is behind bars and facing a lengthy jail term after he admitted two drugs supply offences.

Fiscal depute Eilidh Robertson told Dundee Sheriff Court: "At 1.55p on September 1 firefighters were called to the accused's home address after reports of a fire.

"Entry was forced and they found the kitchen on fire with a pot of meat having been left on the stove.

"Firefighters noticed cannabis and cash sitting in the open in the living room and called police.

"The accused then attended and was found in possession of a small quantity of cannabis and a grinder.

"A full search was undertaken and quantities of cannabis were found throughout the property, as well as a quantity of MDMA and £9865 in cash.

"There was also paraphenalia such as self sealing bags and four sets of scales.

"There was a total of 2354 grams of cannabis found, with a value ranging from £10,000 wholesale to £35,310 if sub divided into street deals.

"The MDMA was 34 grams valued at up to £1650 in street deals."

Brown, 24, of Laing Street, Dundee, pleaded guilty on indictment to two charges of being concerned in the supply of drugs.

Defence solicitor Ryan Sloan said: "He presently runs a shop - the Dundee Cannabis Collective.

"He is anxious to keep that business going."

Speaking out from the dock, Brown added: "It is all legal, medicinal oils."

Sheriff Alastair Brown deferred sentence until August 9 for social work background reports and remanded him in custody meantime.

He said: "He has a history of supplying a controlled drug unlawfully.

"I'm not going to give him bail to commit an offence."

Speaking in May, Brown - manager of the group - said his store is a "medicinal cannabis advice centre".

He added: "We are here so that people can come in and find out how they can use medicinal cannabis. We believe that cannabis should be legalised for medical uses."

Nik told the Tele that the group has been giving advice to hundreds of people in the nine months that they have been open.

The group has been used by recovering alcoholics and even an 80-year-old woman with cancer.

But Nik said the work they do could even help stem Dundee’s issues with Class A drugs — including heroin — and legal highs.

He added: "Legal highs are a big problem. I know of one person who smoked a synthetic cannabis and he actually ended up in a coma.

"You have no idea what is in these legal highs and when they are tested they often contain illegal compounds.

"I think if people were able to get some cannabis to help with withdrawals and other relevant mental health issues then it would go a long way to helping the heroin problem in the city — you could give people their life back."