Granger allowed to appeal drug conviction

[budsta]

Granger allowed to appeal drug conviction

By SEAN FEWSTER

21nov03

FORMER football strongman Dave "Grave Danger" Granger has been given permission to appeal against his drug conviction – and will challenge the validity of state law.

 

Granger and his lawyers will ask the Court of Criminal Appeal to find South Australia's decades-old drug laws "contravene the Australian Constitution" and are unfair to anyone found with large quantities of cannabis.

 

The Court of Criminal Appeal yesterday granted Granger leave to appeal against his jail term of four years and three months.

 

Earlier this month, Granger, 48, was given a two-year non-parole period for growing 17kg of cannabis at his Woodville Park home.

 

He denied he intended to sell the drug, claiming he used it to ease chronic pain in his lower back and bowel and to give "occasionally" to friends.

 

Under the Controlled Substances Act (1984), people found in possession of more than 100g of cannabis must prove they did not intend to sell the drug.

 

Granger's lawyers claim the act "contravenes ... . the Australian Constitution and is therefore invalid".

 

They say Granger therefore "should have been acquitted of the charge of possessing cannabis for sale".

 

From "The Advertiser" 21/11/2003

 

Go Dave, go...