Aaron Armstrong, aka Mr Hemp, 44, of Emerald Beach, sentenced for cannabis oil supply

A market stallholder known as ‘Mr Hemp’, who supplied cannabis oil for pain management has been sentenced. The unusual outcome joins a growing body of case law set to change future rulings.

A market stallholder known as ‘Mr Hemp’, who supplied cannabis oil for pain management has been sentenced – but the outcome joins the ‘growing body of case law’ set to change the legal landscape.

In a packed courtroom full of supporters, where extra seating had to be provided, Aaron Armstrong sat in the docks nervously as Judge Michael McHugh ruled on his matter of supply cannabis and supply cannabis oil.

Armstrong, who owns the business Mr Hemp, came before the courts, charged with supply prohibited drug and supply cannabis, after a raid on a Gatelys Rd, Coffs Harbour property on May 21 last year.

1.256kg of cannabis leaf, 1.884.4kg of cannabis oil, 0.17gm of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and nine cookies were seized in the raids.

Aaron Armstrong has been running a popular market stall Mr Hemp on the Mid-North Coast.

The court heard at the time of his arrest he was kept on remand for 30 days at Clarence Correction Centre, which he described as “horrific”.

In court submissions defence barrister Paul Smart said the oil had a psychoactive content of only “three per cent THC”, which helped relieve pain without getting users high.

Barrister Paul Smart outside Coffs Harbour Court on April 3 after a successful outcome representing Mr Armstrong.

Defence submissions included that Armstrong not be disadvantaged by NSW District Public Prosecutions lack of a mechanism for testing the exact THC levels in cannabis oil.

Judge Michael McHugh referred in his ruling to the 14 references from community members submitted by defence barrister Paul Smart that included a breast-cancer patient using the oil for chronic pain.

He agreed with Mr Smart’s submissions that “There’s no evidence of actual harm”.

Aaron Armstrong felt “vindicated” outside Coffs Harbour court on April 3.

“The recipients were grateful — it was medicinal,” Mr McHugh said.

The judge acknowledged Armstrong’s earlier pleas of guilty, his time already spent in custody, his “good character”, and a “close to nil” chance he was likely to reoffend, along with acknowledging Armstrong had since referred customers onto legitimate providers.

Aaron Armstrong at his market stall selling “Mr Hemp” products such as hemp surf wax, hemp seeds, moisturisers and clothing.

As Mr McHugh drew closer to his conclusion he noted the “growing body of case law where a custodial sentence is not imposed”.

The packed and pensive crowd erupted into applause when Mr McHugh sentenced Armstrong to a 12 month community corrections order ending on 2 April 2026.

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