cannabisnews.com: Alleged Marijuana Grower Cites MS 





Alleged Marijuana Grower Cites MS 
Posted by FoM on June 01, 2000 at 08:10:54 PT
By David Hench, Staff Writer
Source: Portland Press Herald
A Sebago woman facing a misdemeanor charge of marijuana cultivation could be the first test of the state's new medical marijuana law.Pat Dion, 40, was issued a summons Tuesday after Cumberland County sheriff's deputies found eight marijuana plants growing in the woman's back yard, authorities said. 
Dion told the deputies she uses marijuana to ease the discomfort caused by her multiple sclerosis.Maine voters overwhelmingly enacted a law in November which allows the use of marijuana for the treatment of some medical conditions, including cancer, AIDS and MS. The law was enacted with the support of Cumberland County Sheriff Mark Dion, the only major law enforcement official to back the legislation. Dion, who is no relation to the woman charged, said Wednesday that his support for the law and his deputies issuing the summons are not inconsistent."The way the policy is now, the officer has to exercise their responsibility as if it would be a criminal case and let the prosecutors make the final discretionary judgment,'' the sheriff said. "If the person is asserting a medical defense, then we can make the district attorney aware of that and it is their responsibility to determine whether prosecution is warranted.'' For a person to use marijuana legally under the new law, a doctor must have diagnosed an illness that is covered by the law and provided a letter recommending the use of marijuana for therapeutic reasons. The law also allows cultivation of only six plants at one time and possession of up to 1 ounces of dried marijuana.The law allows possession of only a limited amount of the drug to ensure it is not being sold or used for recreational purposes.Efforts to reach Pat Dion by telephone were unsuccessful.The law does cover multiple sclerosis, a chronic, debilitating disease of the nervous system that can cause persistent muscle spasms.Sheriff Dion is a member of the state task force that is working on ways to implement the new law. The task force initially is trying to reconcile the conflict between Maine's law and federal law, which does not treat medical uses of marijuana as legal. The task force also is discussing mechanisms for distributing marijuana to people who are eligible to use it legally.Dion expects the task force work to take all summer.Authorities first learned about Pat Dion's plants Monday. Cumberland County Sheriff's Deputy James Estabrook was contacting a man at her residence on Route 107 for an unrelated traffic violation when he saw the 2- to 4-foot high plants growing in plain view in the back yard.A search warrant led to the discovery in the house of equipment used to grow marijuana indoors – lights, potting soil, timers and fans, authorities said.Elizabeth Beane, director of Mainers for Medical Rights, said the growing equipment is necessary to cultivate marijuana year-round in Maine. Mainers for Medical Rights is the group that spearheaded the legislation legalizing marijuana for medicinal use.Beane said she is unaware of anyone in the state having been charged with possession or cultivation of marijuana when they have been eligible to use it under the new law. In several jurisdictions, authorities are aware of people with painful and debilitating diseases who are using marijuana and the officials have taken no action, she said.According to Sheriff Dion, however, prosecutors currently are responsible for deciding whether the marijuana use is legitimate."That's what we're struggling with in the task force, is to have a process to make that assessment more efficiently,'' Dion said.Beane hopes police procedures eventually can incorporate the law so an officer can assess the legality of the use prior to filing a charge.Pat Dion is scheduled to appear in Bridgton District Court on Aug. 9 on the misdemeanor cultivation charge. Staff Writer David Hench can be contacted at 791-6327 or at: dhench pressherald.com Published: Thursday, June 1, 2000 Published: June 1, 2000Copyright © 2000 Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc.Related Articles & Web Sites:Mainers For Medical Rightshttp://www.mainers.org/"CNN NewsStand" with Maine Sheriff Mark Dion http://www.crrh.org/hemptv/news_cnnns.htmlTask Force Considers Oral Spray To Deliver Drug http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread5838.shtmlHemp TV: CNN's NewsStand, Maine & Med. Marijuana http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread5718.shtml Medical Marijuana Task Force Convened http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread5665.shtmlMaine Panel To Sort Out Medical-Marijuana Law http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread5663.shtml
END SNIP -->
Snipped
Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help




Post Comment


Name: Optional Password: 
E-Mail: 
Subject: 
Comment: [Please refrain from using profanity in your message]
Link URL: 
Link Title: