A grandmother gave five schoolchildren drugs from her own stash to make cannabis cakes, a court heard. The teenagers, one aged 13, two 14-year-olds and two 15-year-olds, were allowed to bake chocolate brownies laced with the Class B drug. Iris Thornton, 55, also allowed them to smoke the drug, which she used for pain relief from backache, Falkirk Sheriff Court heard. The offence was only discovered when police investigated a pupil at a Stirlingshire high school possessing cannabis. For legal reasons, neither the children not the school can be identified. Alison Montgomery, prosecuting, said the youngsters were given a polythene wrap of herbal cannabis by Thornton to bake drug-laced cakes at her home in Dennyoanhead, Stirlingshire. The depute fiscal said the schoolchildren were at Thornton's house on October 21 last year. She said: 'The accused asked them if they wanted to bake brownies and gave them money to buy the cake mix. When they returned from the shop she gave them a wrap of herbal cannabis to mix in.' Once baked, the chocolate brownies were dished out to the youngsters and Thornton, she added. Defence solicitor Neil Hay said: 'The children were not coerced but as a responsible adult she knows that she shouldn't have allowed this while they were in her care.' Thornton, of Loanhead Avenue, Dennyloanhead, also known as Iris Martin, admitted possessing and being concerned in the supply of the controlled drug. Thornton was told her actions were 'deplorable' by Sheriff William Gallacher, who said he had come close to sending her to jail. However when Thornton appeared for sentencing she walked free from court with a community order requiring her to complete 250 hours of unpaid work . Sheriff Gallacher told her she had risked the health of the five young people involved when they were in her home. Sheriff Gallacher told her: 'If you had been involved in behaviour of this kind before I would have sent you to prison. 'This is a case of the utmost gravity. Your behaviour was deplorable. Research has shown cannabis use by young people can have a long-lasting impact on their health.'