COMMENT

Pot eased her pain, then she was nicked

Why the law is an ass

AT THE age of 20, Amanda Sperritt was diagnosed with a rare and crippling
disease known as Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, which causes muscle spasms, nerve
pain and arthritic inflammation. Eight years later she was convicted for
possession of cannabis, the only drug she found that could alleviate the
crippling pain she was experiencing.

"I was grassed up last October," she said. "Eight police officers turned up
in flak jackets and searched my flat for five hours. They found 60 plants
and I was charged with intent to supply. I was absolutely furious. I always
knew it was a possibility, but it was such a shock to actually see them
turn up. Some of the plants didn't even have roots, but the forensic team
calculated that I could have produced nine ounces. Luckily, one drug squad
officer was sympathetic. He made sure the charge to supply was dropped."

After a hearing at the Crown Court, Amanda, from Wiltshire, was found
guilty of possession and sentenced to three months' imprisonment in July of
this year. This was suspended for two years on medical grounds.

"I was left absolutely steaming," she said. "I came close to contempt of
court because the judge was so ignorant. He treated me like a naughty
child, saying that I had to take my pills and not break the law. I wanted
to shout at him.

"Pills have such sideeffects. I was being denied my best medication. My
doctor has said that cannabis is the best antispasmodic medicine
available. It's the only thing that really works. Since I stopped taking
it, my condition has deteriorated. I can't do a lot of the things I used to
do.

"All that we patients are asking for is merely to have the right to use a
naturally growing substance to improve the quality of our lives, without
being criminalised, humiliated or punished by the law."