When police arrived at his front door after a tip-off, he took them straight outside to see his little crop.

In all there were 16 plants in pots that he regularly watered and pruned.

Kevin John Sowrey was no addict, Albury Local Court has heard. The plants, he said, were strictly for medicinal purposes, used purely to give him relief from the painful ravages of arthritis and skin cancer.

The number of plants led to police charging Sowrey with two counts of supplying the drug, but these were withdrawn when the matter went before magistrate Michael Crompton.

Sowrey, 62, ended up pleading guilty to one count of cultivate and one of possessing cannabis, for which he will be sentenced next week.

Police told the court that they received information on March 31 this year that Sowrey was cultivating “a number of plants” in the back yard of his home.

Some plants were also said to be in a shed on the property.

That resulted in police going to his home about 9.30 that night.

The officers let Sowrey know what they had been told and he immediately agreed to show them where his cannabis plants were being kept, plus cannabis resin in his fridge.

They went outside and straight away saw potted plants on tables.

“The plants smelled strongly of cannabis and were immediately recognisable as cannabis given the shape of the leaves and distinguishable head,” police said.

Sowrey denied he was using his shed as a hydroponic operation, saying it was only to get more light “when the weather was overcast”.