Mark Ayres, 71, and his wife Marion, 70, were arrested when police raided their £1 million home in Attleborough, Norfolk, discovering 25 cannabis plants and 5.7 kilograms of dried marijuana with an estimated street value of £46,000.
At Norwich Crown Court, Ayres was jailed for three and a half years after admitting possession with intent to supply and production of cannabis. His wife received a nine-month suspended sentence for production of cannabis over a limited period.
Court documents revealed that Ayres began researching the medicinal benefits of cannabis after his cancer diagnosis in 2018. When the disease returned in 2023, he began growing the drug in a former home gym. While initially growing eight plants, the operation expanded to 25 by the time of the arrest.
Ayres, who had no prior convictions and had led a law-abiding life, regretted his wife's involvement in the operation. His defense stated that he had sought to "throw everything and anything at his treatment" and had lost family members to cancer.
Recorder John Hardy noted that the couple had led "blameless lives" but that Ayres had developed a cannabis operation "behind a veneer of respectability." He added that Ayres had not used cannabis since his arrest.
Following the sentencing, Sergeant Dan Shelley of Norfolk Police emphasized the damaging impact of drug production and supply, encouraging the public to report concerns to the police.
Inside the property, officers found 5.7 kilograms of dry cannabis. 
