For the first time, the “medical marijuana necessity defense” has been used to successfully defend an ill patient in a jury trial. The patient, a 50 year old man from Fort Lauderdale that we recently told you about here, suffers from chronic anorexia which causes nausea, vomiting, weight loss, insomnia and lack of appetite – and had found relief from marijuana that he was growing himself. Michael C. Minardi of the law firm Kelly Kronenberg served as the victorious attorney in this historic case.
This gigantic victory – however – came only after the man’s life was upended, as he was arrested and no doubt spent thousands of dollars to defend himself in a jury trial. Additionally, his ability to get access to the medicine he needs was interrupted.
Legislature, if they do not act RIGHT NOW to pass a decent, constitutional medical marijuana bill, will force patients like this into the same situation – on top of wasting tax dollars that will ultimately be used to vindicate the patients. This case also illustrates the importance of leaving it to doctors and not legislators to enumerate what qualifies as a debilitating condition. Under one version of the proposed law in legislature, this patient would not be protected.
But this doesn’t mean that sick and suffering Floridians are now protected in any way from arrest and prosecution under the law. There is no such protection – people are still being arrested and this had to be won at court. The ability to use the medicine recommended by your doctor should not have to be defended in a court of law.
Learn more on United for Care.
Yes! We need more cases like this! The public needs to know that jury nullification WORKS. #LegalizeIt
I believe medical marijuana is a nessesary legestation and should be legalized not only oil but the whole plant. I myself in the past used it to self medicate for my seizures, glaucoma, spasticity due to Cerebral Palsy and more medical issues caused from having multiple chronic pain illnesses. I started using in my mid teens and did not find out how sick I really was til I quit using and all the pain came to the surface. In my case using mj kept my illnesses under control. Once I stopped at 21 I truly found out how chronically I’ll I was . Modern medicine does very little for me. I am now on 30 medications a day but feel that would not be the case if I could smoke again. Sorry this is so long but I wanted to tell my story.
Thank you for sharing your story Lori.
I WANT IN-STATE GROWING IN GEORGIA BECAUSE I NEED THE MEDICINE AND CAN’T AFFORD TO BUY FROM THE GOVERNORS AND SHERIFF DEPT. POLICE PROTECTED STREET DEALING INFORMANTS!! LET’S GET THE GOVERNMENT CRIMINALS OUT OF THE MARIJUANA BUSINESS! END PROHIBITION NOW!!!! TWEET THIS MESSAGE!!!
My story is not a story, but facts. I have worn a prosthetic eye for 52 years which by now is very stressful, discomforting and is mostly a very depressing situation for me and always has been, if not downright irritating much of the time. When I take a few tokes, my stress and anxieties, discomforts, are subdued and I feel fine. I also have a chronic cervical disorder in my neck with several bone spurs and mostly diminished or worn out cushioning between the vertebrate, which is severely discomforting and painful. I have learned from experience that good marijuana is definitely the best medicine for me and I do not like to take those pills that the doctors are shoveling to us all. Also those pills are usually what is slowly killing us. Marijuana is not harmful to me and never has been harmful, but marijuana has many medical benefits without being addictive or without damaging other organs such as kidneys, liver, colon, bladder, eyes, etc. etc. I am so sick of having to go find the street dealer to get some low rate dank weed that smokes, smells and tastes like it was grown in somebody’s closet or bathtub. Then have to worry about getting busted with it on the way back. I’m 60 years old and am “Fed up and pissed off” at the way this backward government here in this state of Georgia is with my rights and civil liberties that evidently are far and few. The government doesn’t want prohibition to end because they build pride off of the pride they have stolen from their victims of prey. Under current prohibition I, like anyone else has to buy from the drug dealing informant that works for the postal service or the like and has been selling weed for many, many years with police protection. Ha! BINGO! This government is corrupted, all of them. I said I am 60 years old which also means that I wasn’t born yesterday! They (the corrupted government) have a lot of those drug dealing informants that deal to everyone that will pay $200 a bag for so-so grade stuff that doesn’t even come close to what went around a few years back. I’m saying the government has an “organized crime ring in operation for many years and that’s why pot became so expensive.” Their operation is allowing a certain choice few big wheel businessmen and politicians to indulge in make shift or covert grow facilities on private off road facilities and in warehouses to produce much of the weed that goes around. So they grow it , they jack up the prices, they have their informants selling it, and anyone that buys over one ounce at a time is subjected to being ratted on and busted for a felony, therefore the feds are more than likely in on the whole operation.
I don’t want to stop here because I could write a very interesting book if I keep going. So, you get my drift. I know some of you will call this a rant. I assure you it is not. Something not only needs to be done about it and something HAS to be done about ending marijuana prohibition and restoring constitutional rights, citizens’ rights, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for every citizen and stop this government victimization program. As of the last 75 years, GOVERNMENT GREED rules this land. The government people are using and abusing our rights to become wealthy. The people should rise up and be heard.
I’m sick of all this government corruption from one end of the spectrum to the other! The government is disgusting to many! Times are changing. I need my medicine dammit!
So, there you have it. I believe we should stand up for our rights if we want to have the freedoms and liberties that are spelled out in our constitution. Also the excessive tax rates and price of weed in legal states is absurd. WE should be allowed to grow our own weed out the backdoor and that would eliminate the black market and government cartels. I demand my constitutional rights and freedoms, otherwise we live in a land of corrupted and scandalous government control. END PROHIBITION NOW!
SIGNED: Trojan72 of Dallas, Georgia That’s right TWEET This!!!
power to the people. life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, land of the free. life is full of choices. the plant never should have been made illegal. It was misguided and ill-fated from the get go.