On September 20th 1972 Paul McCartney was arrested for possession of marijuana at his farm in the Mull of Kintyre.
McCartney appeared at Campbeltown Sheriff Court in March 1973, where a £100 fine was imposed on him. He had pleaded guilty to knowingly cultivating five cannabis plants in a greenhouse on his 500-acre High Park Farm, a few miles from the town.
The former Beatle told waiting reporters that he was pleased with the outcome and that it could have been worse. “I was planning on writing a few songs in jail,” he conceded. “It would have been all right as long as I had a guitar.”
During the twenty-five minute hearing, his defence counsel said that he had “an immense interest in horticulture.” McCartney said later: “I have grown quite a few kinds of pot plants in the greenhouse. One gets quite a few gifts of all kinds from fans. These seeds arrived by post, so I planted them in five pots.” He added: “I feel that there should be legislation on the use of cannabis. Drink is a much worse drug to my mind than cannabis.”
The procurator fiscal told the court that the plants were found by police making a routine crime prevention visit to McCartney’s hilltop farm near Campbeltown. John McCluskey, QC, for McCartney, said: “The plants were growing absolutely openly. There was no attempt to conceal them and I feel this is a technical offence.”
Fining him £100, Sheriff D.J. McDairmaid said he took into account that cannabis seeds had been given to McCartney in a gift.
McCartney’s counsel, Mr. John McCluskey, said that as a result of the conviction McCartney would be refused admission to the United States, possibly for two or three years, which would have a serious effect on his business interests.