A WOMAN said to use cannabis medicinally has abandoned an appeal against a conviction for drug driving.

Selina Stein was fined and given a 12-month motoring ban by magistrates in July after being convicted for driving while unfit due to the level of cannabis in her system.

It arose after the 54-year-old, of Hillside View, Sherburn Village, was stopped by police as she drove a Fiat 500 in Front Street, Spennymoor, on May 16

Durham Crown Court heard the officer smelled cannabis on her, so she was arrested and taken to a police station for a blood test, which showed cannabis above the prescribed level for driving.

At the originally scheduled appeal hearing, against both the conviction and sentence at the crown court, in August, she said she was questioning parts of the law relating to drug driving and the permitted levels.

Judge Ray Singh said he had to deal with the law as it stands now.

Stein said she feared being over the limit in future as she said medicinal cannabis is becoming more widely available.

In response, Judge Singh said: “It’s like saying I’m an alcoholic and I have 20 pints in my system.”

The appellant said: “I believe there has to be limits, but I don’t agree with the limit as it is now.”

Her appeal was adjourned for a contested hearing, to take place this week.

But when the hearing began the court was told she had informed the court by email the previous day that she wished to withdraw the application to appeal.

Stein said she under-estimated the time it will take to put her case together and felt the half day of court time allocated was insufficient.

Judge Singh said, in the circumstances, he would order her to pay the £550 costs of the prosecution in preparing the case for the appeal hearing, which Stein must pay at the rate at the rate of £20 a month.

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