Bad back blamed for cannabis crop

[grace]

A MAN who grew 181 marijuana plants in his greenhouse as a source of pain relief for a bad back joined two dope-smoking and self-medicating pensioners in a Cairns court yesterday.

 

Atherton labourer and cannabis crop-grower Brian Simmonds, 41, along with Bayview Heights pensioner William Smart, 46, who set up a hydroponic operation in his bedroom, both pleaded guilty to producing a dangerous drug.

Cooktown pensioner Graeme Goddard, 57, was fined $1000 after being found with a large hessian bag full of dope in his back shed.

 

In Cairns Supreme Court, where the three were dealt with separately yesterday, Justice Stanley Jones said it was not the first time he had heard defendants say they started growing cannabis as a form of pain relief for various ailments.

But Justice Jones told Simmonds, whose defence counsel said Simmonds grew 181 plants because he wanted to make sure he had an ongoing supply, that if he got too much of a surplus there became a temptation to sell the rest.

However, he accepted there was no commercial element in any of the cases and that the drugs were just for the men's own use.

 

Smart also pleaded guilty to two counts of supplying cannabis after giving away 265g from his 1.2kg hydroponic harvest to his house-mate and a "little handful" to a friend.

 

His barrister Kevin McCreanor said first-time grower Smart was "not very good at it" as three of his six plants had died.

 

"He got instructions off the internet, things from the tip he just wanted to get enough (cannabis) for 12 months," Mr McCreanor said.

 

He said Smart, a former construction worker, hurt his back in a work accident about 20 years ago and started smoking dope to reduce his reliance on prescription drugs.

 

Justice Jones, who decided a fine would only penalise the disability pensioner's wife and children, placed Smart on 12 months probation and said it would give him a chance to get advice about lawful pain management techniques.

 

He sentenced Simmonds to six months' jail with immediate release on parole for producing the 181 immature plants, totalling 1.5kg, and for possessing a small amount of cannabis leaf.

 

Author: Margo Zlotkowski

Date: 29 January 2010

Source: Cairns Post

http://www.cairns.com.au/article/2010/01/2...local-news.html

 

[Crunchy]

"You cant grow pot, its illegal and bad for you"

-"but it relieves my pain and keeps me off addictive opiates"

"ahhh, BUT you might sell it!"

-"No, its for person use, at most i gave away some to a friend or two"

"You gave pot to your friends? HAHA jail for you buddy, enjoy your pain!"

[cone head]

hahaha crunchy........ good read

 

 

 

Cone

[Chronmasta]

lucky they were in a greenhouse or he might get back pain from growing medicin for his back pain

 

 

 

[TheTreeBoundRat]

So he got 6 months with mediate release. What does that mean? No jail?

[Rose Gardener]

So he got 6 months with mediate release. What does that mean? No jail?

 

Yeah, I think it means he got a suspended sentence....

 

I HATE how they call it 'dope' too. I'm so much more clear headed and much less 'dopey' when I use MJ for my pain, as opposed to the LEGAL TOXIC pharmaceuticals that fog up my head, make it hard to think, and make me feel sick!

[Crunchy]

A MAN who grew 181 marijuana plants in his greenhouse as a source of pain relief for a bad back joined two dope-smoking and self-medicating pensioners in a Cairns court yesterday.

 

I agree rose, infact i think phrases like that are somewhat prejudicial

[cybergenesis]

Who knows how true the guys excuse is, I mean when your faced with prison you will try and play the game.

 

I don't find marijuana DIRECTLY beneficial for severe pain, for such pain I use opiates.

 

However, opiates don't always control the pain fully, and often the discomfort makes you feel depressed and down. Marijuana I find alleviates the low moods caused by being sick. It just makes you feel "better". It seems to "distract" people from their discomforts. I certainly think it has a part to play in reducing many peoples suffering. If I am dying I will INSIST on having marijuana.

Edited January 29, 2010 by cybergenesis

[Fibrofeend]

I HATE how they call it 'dope' too. I'm so much more clear headed and much less 'dopey' when I use MJ for my pain, as opposed to the LEGAL TOXIC pharmaceuticals that fog up my head, make it hard to think, and make me feel sick!

 

Same same, i can focus on doing things a lot better, example: chopping things with very sharp knives for cooking, according to my Sight Training on NDS i have a lower eye age as well.

But i guess i should get advice about more lawful pain management techniques..

[MadamePandora]

I've tried many of the lawful pain relief medications for my back and knee injuries.

 

Oxynorm and Oxycodone and Morphine make me vomit. Anti-nausea tablets do not prevent that for me, I've tried them too.

 

Tramadol does not work for me.

 

Cannabis helps significantly with the pain.

 

My partner is in a worse situation. She is allergic to ALL opiates and to Tramadol, they put her into anaphylactic shock and she stops breathing.

 

I wonder how that would work as a defence...