DRUG WIN MS SUFFERER'S NEW COURT ORDEAL

INCURABLY ill Paul Roddy, who was cleared by a jury for possession of a
small amount of cannabis, was back in court today - for an alleged carbon
copy offence.

Now taxpayers face another huge bill for taking multiple sclerosis sufferer
Mr Roddy through the Manchester courts system again.

Anger erupted at Manchester Crown Court yesterday when the father-of-three,
41, was arrested before he could leave the dock. The jury had just
acquitted him of illegal possession of cannabis worth just UKP15 - which he
uses for pain relief - when officers swooped.

Cannabis campaigners, who were in court to support Mr Roddy, from
Wythenshawe, labelled the police action as "barbaric". But officers took
him away for a night in a police cell.

He admits carrying cannabis all the time for pain relief. He had hidden
some down his sock when police arrested him for stealing two plums from a
shop. Today, he was due to appear before magistrates in the city on a
charge of possessing a small amount of cannabis in July last year.

Today's court action comes on the day a House of Lords report has
recommended legalising the use of cannabis-based drugs for medicinal purposes.

The Lords select committee on science and technology said people who use
cannabis to ease the symptoms of conditions such as multiple sclerosis
should not be prosecuted.

The Lords report said: "In the absence of a viable alternative medicine,
and though we would not encourage smoking of cannabis, we consider it
undesirable to prosecute genuine therapeutic users of cannabis who possess
or grow cannabis for their own use."

Today, Colin Davies, 44 - who last year handed a posy of marijuana to the
Queen as she opened The Lowry centre in Salford - said: "This is making an
ass of the law.

"Paul Roddy said in court that the police will always find him in
possession of cannabis as long as he suffers from multiple sclerosis.
Unfortunately for Mr Roddy, as he has explained, if searched for cannabis
the probability of finding it will be very high because he uses it to
control his symptoms.

"This shows the lack of compassion that the police and the authorities
actually have when regarding people who use cannabis for pain relief and
relief of other symptoms.

"Mr Roddy had to spend the night in police custody to appear at a
magistrates' court, and until his release he will be withheld the only
medicine that he believes helps his condition and that is barbaric."

Mr Roddy was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1998 and said he suffered
from leg pains, speech and balance problems and loss of vision.

During his two-day trial he said that since taking cannabis his symptoms
had improved considerably. He said: "The depression has really gone and the
vision is brilliant."

He was conditionally discharged on the theft charge.