Pensioner jailed for growing garden cannabis for wife, suffering with breast cancer

[removeduser_487563287433]

http://www.wsbt.com/news/wjw-busted-...,1667279.story

69 year old Gary Burton has been jailed for 60 days, with 30 days under house arrest, for growing cannabis in his back garden, which he says was for the use of his wife, who is undergoing treatment for breast cancer. The couple have had not had health insurance since Burton retired.

I am reluctant to use individual news stories as the lynch pin of political arguments because of the many obvious flaws in doing so. In this case, we also have to take Burton at his word that the drug was for medicinal purposes. However, I am going to bring this forward regardless as the situation could be applied to any, especially to those in the USA who are not properly covered by the health system (although that is not a debate I want for this thread).

There is some compelling evidence that cannabis does help ease the process of cancer treatment in a variety of ways, and it seems... against the purpose of Government to continue to proscribe it to the detriment of the health, and arguably the overall security of citizens. There was a case in the UK of a retired lady who brewed cannabis in her tea to ease the pain of her arthritis. Although she was left alone by the police initially, her insistence in also helping her friends with the drug eventually led her to be convicted.

Surely it is time for some maturity?

[Hookah Smoking Caterpiller]

God we have such backwards drug-laws, it's pure pandering to the tabloids and the self-appointed shreaking moral crusaders of the Mail-Express-torygraphy demographic. The rediclious way the emergance of Methadrone was handled, banning due to several questionable deaths and before any concrete statistics or research into the effects of the drug were even published (it later turned out that the drug was largely safe).

Knee-jerk reaction, rather than informed debate, is a cornerstone of drugs policy in the UK, and will continue to do so for the forseable future.

[removeduser_487563287433]

We have to consider though that the bovine Mail readers may, nonetheless, be the majority of our democratic society and unless scientific research is properly embraced by the media I do not see how their views will changed. And science reporting in the UK and USA is especially horrible, barely ever reaching a sufficient standard.

[Exarch]

mandatory convictions/blanket judgements are always problematic

[Sevasti]

Commence the infinite loop of arguing the law:
1. Don't like it? Then change the law.
2. No reason to debate it, it's already against the law.
3. Don't like it? Then change the law.

EDIT: It's not even down to a scientific issue, it's been made into a moral issue. And the moral of the story is always the same - it's against the law.

[Rolling Thunder]

Commence the infinite loop of arguing the law:
1. Don't like it? Then change the law.
2. No reason to debate it, it's already against the law.
3. Don't like it? Then change the law.

EDIT: It's not even down to a scientific issue, it's been made into a moral issue. And the moral of the story is always the same - it's against the law.

the law then.

[Ahlerich]

really upsetting, this drug policy against canabis though is something almost all of europe seems to have in common. too bad so sad.
i am so upset that i d roll up a doobie right now if it only would be allowed by the TOS

[Gorrrrrn]

Problem equally bad for sufferers from multiple sclerosis.

Medical use of cannabis, where no other substance is known to provide equal or better treatment, should be sanctioned with properly regulated (quality and quantity) supply.
(including home growing - probably the cheapest option all round )

Prosecuting people for using cannabis for medicinal purposes is not only legally a waste of time, it's denying people the choice of how to treat their own medical conditions.

[Finnduil]

You guys DO realize that while some of the opposition towards weed may come from ignorance, the main reason for it's illegality is that if people actually heal themselves, it means enormous financial losses for the pharmaceutical companies, therefore threatening the economy?

[JP226]

You guys DO realize that while some of the opposition towards weed may come from ignorance, the main reason for it's illegality is that if people actually heal themselves, it means enormous financial losses for the pharmaceutical companies, therefore threatening the economy?

You hurt my brain and made me dumber.... You really think a PHARMACEUTICAL company wouldn't have the financial resources or political capital to corner a market like medicinal marijuana. WHo the else, exactly, would have the economies of scale and politcal power to make such a venture profitable and profitable quickly?

Then again, $1000 you think big oil is stopping gren energy.

[Wilder]

You hurt my brain and made me dumber.... You really think a PHARMACEUTICAL company wouldn't have the financial resources or political capital to corner a market like medicinal marijuana. WHo the else, exactly, would have the economies of scale and politcal power to make such a venture profitable and profitable quickly?

Then again, $1000 you think big oil is stopping gren energy.

See the thread I am about to open...

[the_mango55]

You hurt my brain and made me dumber.... You really think a PHARMACEUTICAL company wouldn't have the financial resources or political capital to corner a market like medicinal marijuana. WHo the else, exactly, would have the economies of scale and politcal power to make such a venture profitable and profitable quickly?

If marijuana was legalized it's not a market that can be "cornered"

It's something that can be grown by almost anyone, and it's not a crop that requires vast investment and significant land to be profitable.

If Cannabis was legalised and regulation by the State, would it still be an offence to grow your own, considering it wouldn't be taxed?

Well I don't know how it works in England, but if you're growing it for your own use then it probably wouldn't be illegal, only if you're selling it. However if you did want to sell it you would probably be able to get a license, but you would be subject to fees, taxes and regulations.

At least that's how it works with Moonshine (homemade liquor) in America post-prohibition.

[MadBurgerMaker]

Well I don't know how it works in England, but if you're growing it for your own use then it probably wouldn't be illegal, only if you're selling it. However if you did want to sell it you would probably be able to get a license, but you would be subject to fees, taxes and regulations.

At least that's how it works with Moonshine (homemade liquor) in America post-prohibition.

Nah, you still can't legally distill booze just for yourself without a license. ATF gets all mad.

[kentuckybandit]

I am reluctant to use individual news stories as the lynch pin of political arguments because of the many obvious flaws in doing so.

And yet you still did.

[/QUOTE]
especially to those in the USA who are not properly covered by the health system (although that is not a debate I want for this thread).
[/QUOTE]

You don't want an issue debated, yet you will use it as a point with which to frame your discussion.

[removeduser_487563287433]

And yet you still did.


especially to those in the USA who are not properly covered by the health system (although that is not a debate I want for this thread).


You don't want an issue debated, yet you will use it as a point with which to frame your discussion.

Waaah!

Prosecuting people for using cannabis for medicinal purposes is not only legally a waste of time, it's denying people the choice of how to treat their own medical conditions.

Well, more of a concern, it's denying people from professional advice on something that could help treat them. That's downright dangerous.

[NotYetRegistered]

I personally think we should follow the Dutch example on cannabis laws.

[Plan C]

[...]

Surely it is time for some maturity?

One can but pray.

[mongrel]

http://www.wsbt.com/news/wjw-busted-...,1667279.story

69 year old Gary Burton has been jailed for 60 days, with 30 days under house arrest, for growing cannabis in his back garden, which he says was for the use of his wife, who is undergoing treatment for breast cancer. The couple have had not had health insurance since Burton retired.

I am reluctant to use individual news stories as the lynch pin of political arguments because of the many obvious flaws in doing so. In this case, we also have to take Burton at his word that the drug was for medicinal purposes. However, I am going to bring this forward regardless as the situation could be applied to any, especially to those in the USA who are not properly covered by the health system (although that is not a debate I want for this thread).

There is some compelling evidence that cannabis does help ease the process of cancer treatment in a variety of ways, and it seems... against the purpose of Government to continue to proscribe it to the detriment of the health, and arguably the overall security of citizens. There was a case in the UK of a retired lady who brewed cannabis in her tea to ease the pain of her arthritis. Although she was left alone by the police initially, her insistence in also helping her friends with the drug eventually led her to be convicted.

Surely it is time for some maturity?

Queen Victoria was prescribed the drug. I understand that common use of the drug declined when Aspirin arrived on the scene.

[chamaeleo]

Thank God, at first I thought it was the other Gary Burton:


Vibes players should be allowed to smoke whatever they want within the privacy of their own homes, too.

[Big War Bird]

Likely his sentence would be harsher if he were making lortab.