A 31-YEAR-OLD man has been banned from driving for a year after being caught with almost twice the legal level of cannabis in his blood on the A40 at Ross-on-Wye.

Matthew Davies, of Breakback Road, Bromsgrove, appeared at Kidderminster Magistrates’ Court on 24th September where he pleaded guilty to driving with a controlled drug above the specified limit.

The offence happened on 23rd March 2025 when Davies was driving an Audi Q5 on the A40 near Baileys DIY and Ross Labels.

The court heard he had 3.8 microgrammes of cannabis per litre of blood. The legal limit is two microgrammes per litre.

Davies had previously pleaded not guilty to the charge before changing his plea to guilty.

Court documents stated his guilty plea was taken into account when he was sentenced.

Magistrates fined Davies £400 and ordered him to pay £620 towards Crown Prosecution Service costs.

He was also disqualified from driving for 12 months.

Cannabis is among a number of illegal and medicinal drugs for which specified limits apply to motorists.

Police can carry out roadside drug screening if they suspect a motorist has taken drugs, with screening devices able to test for cannabis and cocaine.

Drivers can then be required to provide a blood sample to establish the amount of a drug in their system.

Government guidance states that a drug-driving conviction can result in a minimum one-year driving ban, an unlimited fine, up to six months in prison and a criminal record.

A conviction for drug driving also remains on a motorist’s driving licence for 11 years.

The A40 is one of the main routes through the Ross area, linking Herefordshire with Gloucestershire and the wider road network towards south Wales.

Davies will now be unable to drive for 12 months following the order imposed by magistrates.