AN overwhelming majority of Advertiser readers believe Keith Thompson should be left to smoke his pot in peace.

As revealed on Friday, the 53-year-old dad of two has insisted he will not stop using cannabis, despite getting raided by police.

More than 1,500 readers voted in a phone and internet poll, with 92 per cent backing the joint-smoking Wootton Bassett man.

Only eight per cent thought he was in the wrong.

Mr Thompson, who is registered disabled and does not work, said: "I'm absolutely astounded at the response.

"I know there's a few of us out there and all sorts of people smoke it."

After Mr Thompson's pledge to keep on puffing, mental health charities warned of the dangers of the drug.

Kathleen Aitken, the manager of Swindon and District MIND, said continued use of cannabis had been linked to psychosis.

A spokesman for Druglink also said people who use hard drugs like heroin and crack cocaine often start on cannabis before moving on.

But Mr Thompson hit back, saying: "I've been smoking for over 30 years and I have not got on to the bad stuff so I'm one of the lucky ones. I'm not going to stop after 30 years and I'm not mad or paranoid like these people seem to suggest."

When Mr Thompson's home in The Rosary, Wootton Bassett, was raided last week police took his eight cannabis plants.

He said the drugs were purely for his own use but now he says the police have forced him to commit further offences.

"All the police have done by taking my plants is force me to go to dealers," he said.

"I don't know where that money is going. It could be spent on guns. I was just trying to be self-sufficient like Tom Good in The Good Life."

Mr Thompson also criticised those who are anti-cannabis but do not have a problem with alcohol.

"I would like to know how many fights the police have had to attend in the last three months because of drink and how many because of smoking," he said. "I'll bet it's none from smoking and lots from drink."
MAP posted-by: Richard Lake