Pubdate: Thu, 30 Oct 2008
Source: Nelson Star (CN BC)
Copyright: 2008 Black Press
Contact: http://drugsense.org/url/4kNvY8sy
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4866
Author: Herb Couch
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v08/n910/a08.html

JUDGE GOT IT WRONG

Editor:

Re: Holy Smoke Workers Found Guilty, October 2, 2008

Thank you to the Holy Smoke 4!

Paul DeFelice said, " "We had the audacity to not plead guilty because
we don't think we are doing anything wrong."

He is absolutely correct.

Sadly, Judge Don Sperry was very wrong when he "found the men guilty
as he stated they failed to provide the community a service by helping
those with illnesses."

The Holy Smoke 4 sold marijuana to many sick people.

I'm sure that the medical users considered their medicine a
necessity.

What could Holy Smoke do?

Holy Smoke should not have had to watch sick people suffer or possibly
die in order to prove their defence of necessity for selling marijuana.

Judge Sperry was also very wrong to discredit peer reviewed studies on
marijuana because he thought expert witness, Dr. Melamede, was a
"marijuana advocate."

A judge should not discredit the scientific evidence. Clearly, one way
that Holy Smoke acted in a responsible manner was by helping sick
people in our community.

Their defense of acting out of necessity is valid.

Finally, let me say that we need a solution to the marijuana
issue.

It is dangerous to hand over a $7 billion per year B.C.marijuana
industry to organized crime.

Prohibition only creates rich, greedy gangs with their violence and
drug turf wars.

It is indeed a "necessity" to end marijuana prohibition and create a
safe, legal and regulated market.

Herb Couch

Nelson, B.C.
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MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin