A DRUG-DRIVER has been banned from the roads after turning to using cannabis instead of drinking alcohol.
Christopher Dougherty admitted one count of drug-driving when he appeared before magistrates in Hereford.
Police were on patrol in Hereford's Kilvert Road on September 5 when they came across Dougherty behind the wheel of a Nissan Micra, prosecutor Eleanor Peart said.
Dougherty was pulled over, and was asked to take a roadside drug test after officers noticed his pupils were dilated.
He was arrested after it returned a positive result for cannabis, and an evidential blood test in custody revealed he had 4.6 microgrammes of cannabis metabolite delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol per litre of blood. The legal limit is two.
The court heard Dougherty has previous convictions, including one for driving while over the alcohol limit in 2017.
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Chris Read, for Dougherty, said the 61-year-old had moved away from drinking alcohol and had started using cannabis on an infrequent basis.
"He had no idea it would remain in the blood for as long as it does," Mr Read said.
"There was no criticism of his driving."
Dougherty, of Birch Hill Road, Clehonger, was disqualified from driving for three years and fined £120. He must also pay costs of £135 and a £34 victim surcharge.
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