Cannabis ‘butter’ on his toast: Dongara Shearer used cannabis to self-medicate after work-related injury

A former Dongara shearer who turned to self-medicating with cannabis after a workplace back injury has been fined $1500 after he was busted with almost half a kilogram of the drug. Tane Phillip Jon Hough, 27, was arrested by police at his Dongara home after a raid at 12.50pm on September 23. Police uncovered 1.7kg of cannabis butter in his freezer — which the court was told he used with Vegemite on toast — and 409g of loose material in his pantry. Hough was told by the magistrate on Thursday that he was “lucky” police did not pursue any drug-dealing charges against him. In Geraldton Magistrate’s Court, prosecutor Acting Sgt Beau Jones said police also found two Valium pills and a gram of cocaine in Hough’s bedside table. Hough’s defence lawyer said his client had a bad workplace injury when he was 25 working as a shearer, leaving him with severe back pain. “He was given a prescription for (opioid pain medication) Tramadol but had a bad reaction to it,” he said. “So he began self-medicating by eating the butter on toast with Vegemite to aid his pain.” Hough, pictured, pleaded guilty to possession of a prohibited drug, was fined $1500, and was ordered to pay costs of $130.50. Magistrate Chris Miocevich said he accepted Hough’s explanation that he was using the drug for medicinal purposes. “I accept that most of the 1.7kg was butter but there’s nearly half a kilogram in the pantry — usually you’d think with that amount, there would be some dealing,” he said. “You’re lucky the police didn’t pursue that option.”