>From: "Peter McWilliams" <peter@mcwilliams.com>
>Subject: medical marijuana patient convicted
>Date: Fri, 28 Jan 2000 20:13:06 -0800
>X-Mozilla-Status: 8001
>X-Mozilla-Status2: 00000000
>
>Medical Marijuana Patient Convicted
>
>.c The Associated Press
>
>  By CATHERINE STRONG
>
>WASHINGTON (AP) - A woman with multiple sclerosis was convicted of drug
>possession on Friday for lighting a marijuana cigarette in a congressman's
>Capitol Hill office when she felt the onset of an attack related to her
>illness.
>
>Judge Stephanie Duncan-Peters of the District of Columbia Superior Court
>ruled in a nonjury trial that the woman, Renee Emry Wolfe, 39, of Ann Arbor,
>Mich., had not met the burden of proof necessary for a medical defense.
>
>She could have sentenced the mother of four to six months in jail and fined
>her $1,000, but instead ordered Wolfe to perform 50 hours of community
>service and pay court costs of $50.
>
>``I would prefer that (Wolfe) return to her home and deal with her medical
>condition in whatever way she and her doctor deem appropriate,''
>Duncan-Peters said.
>
>Marijuana is banned by the federal government, although voters in six states
>have approved laws allowing the drug to be used for medical purposes. Nearly
>70 percent of voters in Washington, D.C., voted last year to allow the
>medical use of marijuana, but Congress has blocked the measure from becoming
>law.
>
>Wolfe went to Rep. Bill McCollum's office on Sept. 15, 1998, carrying the
>marijuana and a sign to protest his resolution saying marijuana is a
>dangerous drug that should not be legalized for medical use.
>
>Defense lawyer Jeffrey Orchard said Wolfe intended to simply tell the
>congressman about her experience with marijuana, but started to feel tense.
>She lighted the marijuana cigarette only when she believed she was about to
>suffer an attack of shaking and muscle tightening caused by her condition,>he
>said.
>
>A neurologist, Dr. Denis Petro, testified that marijuana works as a muscle
>relaxant, allowing people with multiple sclerosis to control their shaking,
>or spasticity. Other drugs produce severe side effects or are not as
>effective, he said.
>
>Prosecutor Alex Bourelly acknowledged ``this is a unique case, and a unique
>defense,'' but said it was clear Wolfe was guilty of marijuana possession
>under the law in Washington.
>
>The judge said the ``case comes down to whether there was a necessity for
>(Wolfe) to possess marijuana on that day in the District of Columbia.''
>
>``There isn't any evidence she was suffering an attack of spasticity at the
>time she was in the congressman's office,'' Duncan-Peters concluded.
>
>Multiple sclerosis is a disease of the central nervous system that afflicts
>more than 300,000 Americans. Wolfe has difficulty walking and usually sits in
>a wheelchair.
>
>
>================================================================
>
>This message is sent to you because you are subscribed to
>   the mailing list <LIST@mcwilliams.com>.
>To unsubscribe, E-mail to: <LIST-off@mcwilliams.com>