A ST Dogmaels woman was using cannabis for pain relief after rejecting opiate painkillers, magistrates have heard.

Victoria Williams, 28, admitted possession of one gramme of cannabis after police attended at her friend’s house and smelt cannabis.

Prosecutor Tracey Willingham told magistrates that police had attended at a flat at around 2pm on an unrelated manner, but while speaking to the occupant of the flat they smelt cannabis.

They asked where it was and Williams, of Bryntirion, Cippyn, handed over a small amount of cannabis, saying it was for her personal use.

Ms Willingham told magistrates that the offence breached a six-month conditional discharge that Williams was made subject to in October last year after she admitted possession of heroin.

Defence solicitor Alan Lewis said Williams has been suffering from serious health issues which were likely to lead to her having surgery soon.

He said that while Williams has been suffering from severe pain, she was reluctant to use opiate-based painkillers and had instead been using cannabis. Mr Lewis said that had been the reason Williams had been in possession of heroin last year.

However, she had now been in talks with her doctor and had stopped taking drugs.

Williams was fined £80 and will pay costs of £140.