UK: Pro-cannabis groups condemn gran's trial

Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:

After you have finished reading this article you can click here to go back.

David MacLean

The Shields Gazette

Monday 12 Mar 2007

---
PRO-cannabis groups have slammed the conviction of marijuana martyr
Patricia Tabram.

The Legalise Cannabis Alliance (LCA), which campaigns for the full
legalisation of cannabis, condemned her trial as a 'gross misuse of the
law'.

Mrs Tabram 68, originally from South Shields, was last week sentenced to
250 hours' community service and fined £1,000 after being found guilty
of possession and cultivation of cannabis plants, which she used in food
preparations to ease her medical symptoms.

Alun Buffry of the LCA said: "This is an inevitable but gross misuse of
the law – obviously the Misuse of Drugs Act was not created to punish
people for growing plants to ease pain.

"Mrs Tabram ought never have been prosecuted, however, once she was at
court, where the jury are told by the judge they cannot even consider
the medical use of cannabis, they had to return a guilty verdict based
on the evidence alone.
"
He added: "The legal system in this country has let us all down when it
punishes people for simply growing cannabis to relieve their suffering,
especially when nothing else works as well, as in this case."

Despite a jury taking only 15 minutes to convict her, Mrs Tabram
defiantly vowed to continue using the drug.

It was her second drug conviction after she was given a suspended jail
sentence for supplying cannabis in curries, casseroles and cakes which
she distributed to other elderly and infirm people near her bungalow in
Humshaugh, Northumberland.

Police and the Crown Prosecution Service backed the decision to take her
to court and she was warned she will be imprisoned if she continues to
flout the law.

Tabram said outside court: "I am still going to medicate with cannabis.
This court is not fit for the purpose, and I am taking up an appeal and
putting in a complaint about the fact I was not allowed to have a defence."

Carlisle Crown Court heard she used the drug to fight the depression she
has suffered since 1975 when she discovered her 14-year-old son dead in
his bed.

http://www.southtynesidetoday.co.uk/ViewArticle.aspx?ArticleID=2114261&SectionID=1111

--

LCA on Myspace; http://www.myspace.com/cannabis_people_uk

After you have finished reading this article you can click here to go back.



This page was created by the Cannabis Campaigners' Guide.

Feel free to link to this page!