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Australia: Cannabis oil advocate Jenny Hallam spared conviction for supplying medicinal cannabis Claire Campbell abc.net Thursday 07 Nov 2019 A South Australian cannabis oil distributor has been spared a conviction for providing the drug to terminally ill people, with the judge saying her actions helped rather than harmed the recipients. Key points: Police raided Jenny Hallam's property in 2017 and found cannabis oil products If convicted she faced seven years in jail, a $35,000 fine, or both Today, the judge said there was no evidence any harm had been caused to recipients Jenny Lee Hallam, 47, pleaded guilty to possessing and manufacturing a controlled drug in February. Her property, north of Adelaide, was raided in January 2017 and police found a number of packaged cannabis oil products in syringes and capsules. Judge Rauf Soulio today released Hallam on a good behaviour bond in Adelaide's District Court. He said it was clear Hallam had been making the oil at a financial loss, adding that there was no evidence any harm had been caused to any recipient of the cannabis oil and that the evidence was "strongly to the contrary". Outside court following the sentence, Hallam said she feared going to jail and thanked Judge Soulio for not convicting her. "To me it sends a message that there's a problem with access out there, that people are desperate, that all they want is to heal themselves, and that people like me are just trying to save their lives," she said. "I didn't want to break the law. I didn't want to be a criminal. I am not a criminal. But sometimes desperate people do desperate things. And these are desperate times when it comes to cannabis. "It's over. It's a massive relief." She said she had spent three years wondering what was going to happen, but now "thankfully" could move on. "I can still look at all those kids and smile and know that they're still here and that there was a good reason for doing what I did," she said. "That I've helped a lot of people and made them happy, but I've also opened a lot of people's eyes to cannabis and what it does and how it's saving people's lives and how desperate people are to access it. "All I ever wanted was for people to be happy and well." Hallam says people still struggle to get medicinal cannabis "At the moment people are miserable and they're sick and they're dying and they're watching their kids suffer and they're watching their family members suffer and we don't want that anymore," she said. "When we know there's something out there that can help people, when someone like me, just a little old lady, in her kitchen can make something that saves people's lives. "There's something very, very wrong going on in this country, that the Government will not let people access it. "There are still people all over Australia trying to access this medication and they cannot get it. I cannot get it in South Australia. "I wouldn't break the law to do it again." Hallam had faced a maximum jail sentence of seven years, a $35,000 fine for manufacturing a controlled drug Last month, the lawyer for Hallam urged the court not to convict or jail her because she needed to travel overseas as part of her new job. The court was told she was planning to take up employment at a privately-owned cannabis farm in northern New South Wales, known as the Australian Cannabis University. It heard its founder Dolph Cooke, who holds a licence to grow cannabis for medicinal purposes, wanted to hire Hallam as an employee for her expertise in oil production. But Hallam said she was still considering her options. 'She has given life back to so many' Her friends and supporters, including former Dignity Party MP Kelly Vincent, applauded as Ms Hallam left the courtroom. "Tears of joy and applause in the court today from myself and so many others because we've finally reached the point where a judge has recognised that Jenny Hallam is a healer, not a dealer," Ms Vincent said. "Without medical cannabis products, which I have got legally myself — an over-the-counter product — I wouldn't be able to be here today. I would still be in bed, crying and screaming in pain. "Instead I'm here supporting my friend, celebrating with my friend, before going off to a full day of work, study and looking after my family. "She has given life back to so many and she's an inspiration and a credit to our community." https://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2019-11-07/cannabis-oil-advocate-jenny-hallam-spared-conviction/11680772?pfmredir=sm&fbclid=IwAR3xVz9-KwhWBNHCjCG4bX4LTghEHZboQKcoBsNtbs82yQcg5iwGnLJCLLA
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