cannabisnews.com: HIV Sufferer Will Challenge Pot Arrest 





HIV Sufferer Will Challenge Pot Arrest 
Posted by CN Staff on May 20, 2003 at 06:29:43 PT
By CBC News Staff
Source: CBC
Saint John – One of the first men to be arrested at Saint John's Cannabis Cafe says he will fight in court for the right to use marijuana for medical purposes. Allan Merritt has HIV, and says the drug allows him to cope with the disease. Merritt admits he was smoking pot when he was arrested May 9. He says marijuana relaxes his muscles, eases the side effects of prescription drugs and improves his appetite. "I've been using marijuana since I was released from the hospital back in the year 2000."
Merritt spends much of his day in a wheelchair working at his flower stand in the city market.He says up until his arrest he had been making regular visits to the Cannabis cafe to smoke. The cafe, which opened last month, welcomes people wanting to smoke marijuana, but does not sell the drug.Merritt says he was sitting with a friend at a table in front of the cafe's picture window when a plain clothes police officer arrested him. The two men were handcuffed and taken to the police station.Merritt says he will use the case to change the way people like him are treated in future. "I think that this is an ideal opportunity for me to state my case and state the case for other people that have been trying the get the legal authorization to use marijuana for a medicinal reason." Merritt is scheduled to appear in court June 25. He's also been ordered not to step inside the Cannabis Cafe.Note: 'I think this is an ideal opportunity for me to state my case, and state the case for other people that have been trying to get legal authorization to use marijuana for a medicinal reason.' – Allan MerrittSource: Canadian Broadcasting Corporation Published: Tueday, May 20, 2003Copyright: 2003 CBCContact: letters cbc.ca Website: http://www.cbc.ca/Related Articles & Web Site:Cannabis News Canadian Linkshttp://freedomtoexhale.com/can.htmNo Laws Ban Possession of Marijuana, Court Ruleshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread16321.shtmlGroup Calls for Health Insurance To Subsidize MMJhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread16266.shtmlDecriminalized Pot Not Enough for Medicinal Usershttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread16264.shtml 
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Comment #1 posted by til on May 21, 2003 at 04:47:11 PT:
Compassion or Discretion?
The cops in St John are so not with it.
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