Pubdate: Thu, 07 Jul 2005
Source: Ottawa Citizen (CN ON)
Copyright: 2005 The Ottawa Citizen
Contact:  http://www.canada.com/ottawa/ottawacitizen/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/326
Author: Jake Rupert
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmjcn.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal - Canada)

CROWN DROPS DRUG CHARGES AGAINST LICENSED MARIJUANA USER

10 Plants Found By Police While Permit Was In The Mail

A medical marijuana user who was charged with cultivating the drug just 
four days before her licence to do so arrived in the mail had the case 
against her stayed by the Crown yesterday.

Margaret Harrington, 51, was licensed to possess the drug and had applied 
for a permit to grow marijuana in her Kemptville home, roughly 45 
kilometres south of Ottawa.

Ms. Harrington was prescribed marijuana by a doctor to help her cope with 
the constant pain she suffers as a result of accidents, surgeries and 
ailments, including fibromyalgia.

She wanted to grow the drug because she said government-supplied marijuana 
was of poor quality and black market prices were too high.

Before her permit arrived, Ms. Harrington got to work growing 10 marijuana 
plants.

On April 22, a police officer arrived at her door to discuss another matter 
and smelled the marijuana.

Ms. Harrington showed the officer her licence to possess the drug and 
explained that her licence to grow it was coming in the mail.

However, as she didn't yet have the licence, the officer applied the letter 
of the law, and Ms. Harrington was charged.

The licence arrived four days later, allowing Ms. Harrington to legally 
grow her marijuana.

The federal prosecution service stayed the charge yesterday after deciding 
that pursuing the case would not be in the public interest.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom