Medicinal cannabis user Matthew David Eglinton makes ‘best buds you’ve ever seen’ claim

A man has fronted a Central Queensland court for a drug-related offence and talked up the “bud” he gets prescribed as a medicinal cannabis user. Details here.

A Central Queensland man in court for a drug-related offence has talked up the “bud” he gets prescribed as a medicinal cannabis user during an interesting exchange with the magistrate.

Matthew David Eglinton, 42, pleaded guilty in Biloela Magistrates Court on July 13 to one count of drug-driving.

The court heard that Eglinton returned a positive to cannabis after police intercepted him driving at Monto on April 3.

Police Prosecutor Sergeant Carl Spargo said Eglinton had three previous drug-driving offences on his history - one in 2018 and two in 2020.

Sergeant Spargo added that Eglinton was currently on parole for possessing dangerous drugs offences and his criminal history was “lengthy” at seven pages, with his traffic history eight pages long.

Representing himself in court, Eglinton told Magistrate Philippa Beckinsale that he had been prescribed medicinal cannabis and he smoked that.

Ms Beckinsale told Eglinton that it was “not prescribed to have a smoke, you have to have it medicinally”.

Eglinton replied: “Yeah in a vape, in a vape, which is a smoke. Yeah I’m allowed to smoke it, I’m allowed to smoke it.”

Ms Beckinsale responded: “Well there you go.”

Eglinton then talked up the product that he was prescribed.

“I get buds - yeah 24 per cent of the best buds you’ve ever seen, prescription.

“That’s why they (police) pulled me over, ma’am, because they knew I was on prescription medication.”

Ms Beckinsale asked the probation officer present in court to inform her of Eglinton’s situation.

Ms Beckinsale then placed Eglinton on 12 months’ probation and disqualified him from driving for six months.

She noted this was a different type of offence to what Eglinton was on parole for and took no action in relation to that.