A CLYDEBANK woman has been warned she's likely to go to prison if she persists in cultivating cannabis at her home in the town.

Police found a single plant, along with leaves drying in shoe boxes and various items of hydroponic equipment, at Nicki McLean's home in Bannerman Place on November 11, 2015.

McLean, 26, appeared in court for sentencing last week after admitting a charge of producing a controlled drug.

Fiscal depute Sarah Healing told the court that gas inspectors had made the initial discovery in the bedroom of the property after forcing entry to the house.

Ms Healing said four more cannabis plants, stripped of their leaves, had been found by police in another shoe box after the gas inspectors handed the keys to the house into the town's police station.

Police arrested McLean after learning she had gone to her landlords, Clydebank Housing Association, to retrieve the keys.

“She was informed of the reason for her detention, and stated she was epileptic and would rather grow her own cannabis than buy from drug dealers,” Ms Healing told the court.

“The valye of the single plant growing in the property is between £400 and £600, depending on yield.”

Ms Healing also said the herbal material found at the property which was not connected to the single growing plant had a potential street value of £1,820 if it were to be sold in one-gram deals.

McLean's sentencing had been deferred to await the production of a background report by social workers.

Derek Buchanan, defending, told the December 1 hearing that prosecutors had accepted McLean's guilty plea on the basis that the cultivation was for her own personal use.

“She was diagnosed with epilepsy aged 18,” Mr Buchanan said, “and has had some difficulty coming to terms with it.

“Clearly the court has to take a serious view of this matter, but we are dealing with a charge of production, and it is accepted that it was a small plant.

“We are more than a year down the line and nothing else has arisen. She has taken positive steps to try and move forward rather than back.”

Sheriff Simon Pender said: “It seems a substantial amount for personal use, but I have to deal with this case on that basis.

“However, cultivation of a Class B drug is a serious matter, and you have accepted your guilt of cultivation of a significant amount.

“For an offence such as this, a custodial sentence has to be considered. However, having considered the terms of the report I'm prepared, by a narrow margin, to deal with it by way of an alternative to custody.

“But if you persist in this you may well, in early course, find yourself incarcerated.”

McLean was given a community payback order with a 12-month supervision requirement and told to carry out two hundred hours of unpaid work within ten months.

“This is a direct alternative to a custodial sentence,” the sheriff added, “and if you do not comply with the order that is what you can expect.”

McLean's pleas of not guilty to charges of possession and possession with intent to supply were accepted by the Crown.