HARSH POT SENTENCE

The medical cannabis community is outraged by the harsh sentencing of a very
ill man suffering from ... a physically debilitating vomiting disorder for
which cannabis is the perfect medicine ("Medical pot grower gets 30 days,"
Tribune-Herald, May 6). In addition, the judge responding to the defendant's
humble pleas to allow him use of his medicine said, "I'm not going to allow
it."

Since when are judges and prosecutors allowed to make medical
decisions regarding a physician's recommended medicine?

The defendant is obviously a very sick man for which cannabis is the
only relief. The man did not have a doctor's recommendation at the
time and was growing more than what the state law allows. However, he
was hurting no one Everyone who is a patient knows that growing
cannabis here is challenging.

A crop can be wiped out quickly to mold, insects, rodents, even pigs
or in a home invasion, as was the case here. When the victim phoned
police of the theft, he was promptly arrested. What does this teach us
about trusting the police to come to our aid when we need them?

This man needed to assure himself an adequate supply, as he neither
had the money to buy it nor to pay for a doctor's recommendation.

And for the deputy public defender to say she believes the judge was
"compassionate" with the sentence was an absolutely ludicrous remark.
The sentence was the antithesis of compassion and conjures Orwellian
doublespeak and cognitive dissonance.

I've heard descriptions of terrible prison conditions of sleeping
under tarps on mats on the floor. Here is a very sick man that is
prohibited from treating himself with the medicine that works and is
forced to sleep in an unhealthy prison-camp environment. It is a total
disgrace to our humanity.

Andrea Tischler

Big Island Americans for Safe Access - Hilo, HI