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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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UK: Man grew cannabis for pain relief
Norfolk Eastern Daily Press Saturday 02 Aug 2003 A Norwich Crown Court judge yesterday said that he was "not unsympathetic" to the view that cannabis could sometimes assist in pain relief after hearing how a disabled man grew the drug to ease chronic back pain. Judge Paul Downes said that prescribing cannabis for chronic pain was currently being considered by medical authorities, but warned "that is not the position at the moment and possession is still an offence". He made his comments to Michael Sankey, 56, who the court heard was found growing 30 cannabis plants at his flat in Gentry Place, Norwich. Police also seized his computer and recovered a dealer list that showed he had supplied 5oz of cannabis with a street value of £500 to close friends. The court heard that Sankey had previous convictions for drug offences. He admitted supplying cannabis and cultivating cannabis. Judge Downes said that while in recent years the courts had been sympathetic to people in Sankey's position, he told him they could not overlook supplying the drugs to others. "There was no need for that," he said. He jailed Sankey for six months, suspended for a year, and told him: "If you take the risk of selling drugs, you put yourself inside for six months as a start." Michael Clare, defending, said there was medical evidence about Sankey's disability and said that he was not a commercial dealer. "He is someone who simply grew cannabis for his own personal use." He said that he sold the excess cannabis to his friends at low cost. Mr Clare told the court there were moves to downgrade cannabis from a Class B drug to Class C and "he (Sankey) believes it should be legalised as do many." There were also conflicting messages in the media about it, he added. He stressed Sankey only smoked cannabis to alleviate the pain and depression he suffered. "He wants to be left alone to smoke his cannabis. He's gone a little bit too far in passing it on to other people," said Mr Clare.
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