Former soldier hits out after cannabis fine

[grace]

A FORMER soldier who turned to cannabis use after developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) believes the $1000 fine he received in the Mandurah Magistrate’s Court on Friday was “excessive”.

 

Matthew James Howarth, 35, pleaded guilty to possession and cultivation of cannabis following a December 6 search of his home.

 

Police found four cannabis plants in a bedroom, the “mother plant” in a fridge, and two more plants in the backyard.

 

Mr Howarth, who has used cannabis for the past seven years to control “extreme anxiety”, said he resented being branded a criminal for using a drug he says helps with his chronic condition.

 

“If I don’t have a smoke it’s very hard for me to come down from a high anxiety level,” he said.

 

“And I don’t believe it hurts anyone else.”

 

The married father of three said he had “no quality of life” without the drug due to the horrific symptoms of PTSD which have plagued him since 2002.

 

Mr Howarth served in the Australian Army as an infantry soldier for more than 10 years.

 

During that time he was involved in harrowing military operations which led to his ultimate breakdown and discharge in 2003.

 

“I tried to keep working but it got harder and harder,” Mr Howarth said.

 

“I sought my own help but nothing worked like smoking pot.”

 

At his worst, Mr Howarth was prescribed “massive doses” of Valium and Serapax; medications he said “didn’t even touch the sides” of his anxiety.

 

He said he grew cannabis himself because he “hated drug dealers” and believed his choice should be legal.

 

“Alcohol and cigarettes are the biggest killers out there,” he said.

 

“But I don’t drink and I don’t smoke.

 

“There are definite instances when cannabis should be a prescribed medication.

 

“Society is all screwed up.”

 

Mr Howarth cited examples from overseas where cannabis was used to treat pain in cancer sufferers and said it was time Australia did the same thing.

 

“We’re being dictated to about what are choices are,” he said.

 

“And the sooner people become better educated about the health benefits of cannabis the better.”

 

WHILE cannabis has been shown to relieve pain and nausea in people suffering HIV, cancer, inflammatory bowel disease and migraines, its effectiveness as an anti-anxiety medication is largely unproven.

 

The anti-spasmodic properties of cannabis are also believed to be useful in treating spinal-cord injuries, multiple sclerosis and Tourette syndrome.

 

Medicinal use of cannabis is legal in Canada, Austria, the Netherlands, Spain, Israel, Italy and some states of the USA.

 

In Australia a synthetic product known as Marinol has been available for 10 years and a British drug called Sativex was approved for use by the Therapeutic Goods Administration last year.

 

In order to prescribe these products doctors must apply for special authority from the Federal Health Department.

 

Author: KATE HEDLEY

Date: 4 February 2010

Source: Mandurah Mail

http://www.mandurahmail.com.au/news/local/...spx?storypage=0

 

[Crunchy]

good article grace! btw this is my 600th post i believe!

 

WHILE cannabis has been shown to relieve pain and nausea in people suffering HIV, cancer, inflammatory bowel disease and migraines, its effectiveness as an anti-anxiety medication is largely unproven.

cannabis's effect on anxiety is largely anecdotal cos the government refuses to allow such studies.

at least people in australia are starting to speak up.

[melicious]

This is how we treat our returned soldiers? I wish the country would wake up to itself. Good on him for presenting another stunning example of the safe and effective use of marijuana, and what a shame he still copped a fine and got treated like a criminal for it.

[Martvic]

I think this bloke standing up for himself and telling the courts that this is a reliable, non harming technique to help his problems can only lead to some positive outcomes for dope in general. More people need to stand up and say " I am not a criminal". Good on him!

[n1knightmare]

I have bad anxiety and was on all the pharmaceutical crap and never felt like me. My smoking of some DJ shorts Flo allowed me to quit smoking cigarettes (14 years) pretty easily. I have never felt calmer and more in control of myself. It is time real studies be conducted to show exactly what medicinal properties weed actually has.

[resist]

yeah, good on him for taking a stand. we need this to happen more.

 

good that these kind of articles are getting printed...

[Al Fish]

"During that time he was involved in harrowing military operations which led to his ultimate breakdown and discharge in 2003."

 

Wonder how many people he killed or help to kill. Perhaps he was part of the Coalition of the Killing which spread Depleted Uranium all over Afghanistan and Iraq.

What a hero!

 

Al.

[mull]

 

Al, he would have done his job.

 

Perhaps he was helping the people of East Timor by stopping the Aitarak Militia insurgency.

 

Poor form mate.

[MongyMan]

Dont let your own bitterness on the world make you a judgmental old bastard Al, Judgmental people are the scum of the earth mate. They are the same people who persecute growers every day.

Peace MongyMan

[Morgaine]

What kind of monster are you Al. Poor form to say the least.

 

Get out of your glass castle where you sit in your divine judgement of the world and actually have a bit of humanity.

 

That is possibly the worst post and most atrocious attitude I have ever seen displayed on any forum of any kind. Ever.

 

You must be still living in 1970's Vietnam. Who on God's Green Earth do you think you are? Sitting there insulting people

who spend their lives protecting you. The same people I'm sure you would be too gutless to present this opinion to personally.

 

You sir are evil. Your absence of compassion is clear testament to that.