cannabisnews.com: Medicinal Pot Defense Fails 





Medicinal Pot Defense Fails 
Posted by CN Staff on August 29, 2003 at 09:30:19 PT
By Mike Miller 
Source: Capital Times
A Madison marijuana activist failed in his bid Thursday to convince a jury to acquit him of pot possession charges because he uses the drug for medical purposes. Steven E. Wessing, 42, a longtime advocate for legalizing marijuana for medical purposes, was found guilty of possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia. The jury deliberated about 20 minutes.
Wessing admitted to the crimes on the witness stand but said he used the marijuana and hashish found in his apartment for medicinal purposes, and not to get high. "It's purely therapeutic," Wessing said. "I use marijuana to alleviate pain and to prevent pain." Dane County Circuit Judge Angela Bartell assessed Wessing $150 in court costs following the verdict and suspended his driver's license for six months as required by law. Wessing had served three days in jail at the time of his arrest on Oct. 16. The question now is whether Wessing will appeal the verdict in hopes of getting courts to overturn Wisconsin's law. Whether that happens depends on finances, said attorney Peter Steinberg, who represented Wessing. Meanwhile, Wessing said he plans to move to the state of Oregon, one of 10 states which has passed laws allowing doctors to prescribe marijuana for certain patients. Wessing traveled to Oregon after his arrest in Madison and was seen by a retired physician who said he would qualify to get medicinal marijuana under Oregon's law. At the close of Thursday's trial, Assistant District Attorney Jason Hanson told jurors there was "overwhelming and uncontroverted" evidence to convict Wessing. Steinberg, who quoted historic figures ranging from Abraham Lincoln to Martin Luther, suggested that jurors step outside the narrow confines of the law and find his client not guilty. "The law is like a flowing river," Steinberg said. "It is ever changing." Should the case be appealed, Steinberg will argue that the Wisconsin law is unconstitutional and that Wessing should have the right to choose to use marijuana for bona fide medical reasons. Wessing testified that he suffers from a congenital back condition which leaves him with spasms and pain; migraine headaches and other maladies. The use of marijuana eases the pain better than other drugs, he said, and lessens the frequency of his bouts of pain. Note: Madison man found guilty of possession.Source: Capital Times, The (WI)Author: Mike MillerPublished: August 29, 2003Copyright: 2003 The Capital TimesContact: tctvoice madison.comWebsite: http://www.captimes.com/Related Articles & Web Sites:IMMLYhttp://www.immly.org/DPFWIhttp://www.drugsense.org/dpfwi/Acquittal Sought for Pot Charges http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread17169.shtmlThis Is My Medicinehttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread16046.shtml
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