Pubdate: Fri, 27 May 2005
Source: Manchester Evening News (UK)
Copyright: 2005 Manchester Evening News
Contact:  http://www.manchesteronline.co.uk
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1313
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal)

CANNABIS BID REJECTED BY JUDGES

AN attempt to effectively legalise the use of cannabis for the relief of 
chronic pain was rejected by the Court of Appeal today.

Three judges ruled against the argument that conduct which would otherwise 
be unlawful was "excused or justified by the need to avoid a greater evil"; 
and that the defence of necessity should be available to those who used or 
supplied the drug to alleviate severe pain.

Effective

The court had been told that cannabis was more effective than conventional 
forms of pain relief and did not have the potentially serious and 
life-threatening side-effects of alternative treatments.

The court dismissed appeals by Barry Quayle, 38, from Lincolnshire; Reay 
Wales, 53, of Ipswich; Graham Kenny, 25, from Shipley; and Anthony Taylor, 
54, and May Po Lee, 28, both from London.

All of them had been given either a fine, community service or suspended 
jail sentence for possessing or importing the drug.
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