SIMPSON WANTS TO BE FOUND INNOCENT FOR "FOLLOWING CONSCIENCE"

AMHERST - Rickey Simpson asked the jury of his Supreme Court trial to
put themselves in his shoes.

"If you were to discover a cure for cancer, could you, in good
conscience, keep the information from others? Would you not have tried
to help people?" he asked during his closing argument.

Simpson, who has a strong belief he found a cure for cancer in
marijuana oil, is facing one count each of possession of marijuana,
possession of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) for the purpose of
trafficking, and producing cannabis marijuana. The second count was
amended from cannabis resin to THC after an analysis performed on oil
found during an RCMP raid at Simpson's home in Aug. 2005 proved to be
THC.

Simpson says that in the end, it's all about a person's conscience and
asked the jury to find him not guilty for following just that.

"To prove a crime requires two components," he read from a seven-page
document. "An actus reas and a mens rea. The actus reas means the act
is done, and there is no doubt the Crown's expert has proven that. But
the mens rea means there must be a guilty mind, and thee is no guilty
mind when you heal the sick without profit."

Crown attorney Monica McQueen recalled some of the evidence presented
by the Crown witnesses, plus that of Simpson.

"You heard Mr. Simpson during his own testimony that it was his house,
he was the person that possessed that substance and that he planted
those plants," she said.

McQueen also said that Simpson's motive that he was "doing something
innocent and good" shouldn't stand.

"Society does not allow individuals to take the law into their own
hands."

The final Crown witness, Valerie Lasher, provided information
regarding the Marihuana Medical Access Division under Health Canada as
to how one can apply for a license to either grow or possess marijuana
for medicinal purposes. She also stated that over 2,100 Canadians had
been approved for licenses since Sept. 7.